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Organising migrant workers: the living wage campaign at the University of East London

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  • Ana Lopes
  • Timothy Hall

Abstract

This critical case study looks at the campaign led by Citizens UK and Unison to get the University of East London (UEL) to sign up to the London living wage (LLW). UEL agreed to pay the LLW after a brief campaign in November 2010 and it was subsequently implemented in August 2011. The study charts the course of the campaign and draws on mobilisation theory and new primary research to account for its success. What our findings suggest is that community organisers and union activists were able to organise and mobilise a largely apolitical group of migrant workers. This, we suggest, can be explained by the successful mobilisation of the community and augurs well for future broad-based campaigns.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Lopes & Timothy Hall, 2015. "Organising migrant workers: the living wage campaign at the University of East London," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 208-221, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:46:y:2015:i:3:p:208-221
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/irj.12099
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jane Wills, 2008. "Making Class Politics Possible: Organizing Contract Cleaners in London," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 305-323, June.
    2. Melanie Simms & Jane Holgate, 2010. "Organising for what?: Where is the debate on the politics of organising?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 24(1), pages 157-168, March.
    3. Lina Jamoul & Jane Wills, 2008. "Faith in Politics," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(10), pages 2035-2056, September.
    4. Edmund Heery & Steve Williams & Brian Abbott, 2012. "Civil society organizations and trade unions: cooperation, conflict, indifference," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 26(1), pages 145-160, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mathew Johnson & Jill Rubery & Matthew Egan, 2021. "Raising the bar? The impact of the UNISON ethical care campaign in UK domiciliary care," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(3), pages 367-382, August.
    2. Peter Prowse & Ray Fells, 2016. "The Living Wage – Policy And Practice," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 144-162, March.
    3. Davide Però, 2020. "Indie Unions, Organizing and Labour Renewal: Learning from Precarious Migrant Workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(5), pages 900-918, October.
    4. Ian Clark & Trevor Colling, 2018. "Work in Britain's Informal Economy: Learning from Road†Side Hand Car Washes," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(2), pages 320-341, June.
    5. Mathew Johnson & Aristea Koukiadaki & Damian Grimshaw, 2019. "The Living Wage in the UK: testing the limits of soft regulation?," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 25(3), pages 319-333, August.
    6. Edmund Heery & Deborah Hann & David Nash, 2020. "Political devolution and employment relations in Great Britain: the case of the Living Wage," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(5), pages 391-409, September.

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