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Stepping up to strike: a union mobilization case study of Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands

Author

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  • Lisa Berntsen

    (Department of Sociology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
    Department of Global Economics and Management, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
    Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

Abstract

This article examines a union mobilization of Polish temporary agency workers in the Netherlands. The case study contributes to the migrant organizing literature a micro-level account of the dynamics of mobilization from the viewpoint of the migrants and organizers involved. The findings emphasize the importance of key actors in building solidarities within and between different groups of workers in fragmented workplaces, with implications for unions seeking new ways to respond to changing employment practices. This study highlights some of the possibilities and limitations of organizing among contractually fragmented workforces.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa Berntsen, 2015. "Stepping up to strike: a union mobilization case study of Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(4), pages 399-412, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:21:y:2015:i:4:p:399-412
    DOI: 10.1177/1024258914567427
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jelle Visser, 1998. "Two Cheers for Corporatism, One for the Market: Industrial Relations, Wage Moderation and Job Growth in the Netherlands," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 36(2), pages 269-292, June.
    2. Edmund Heery, 2009. "Trade unions and contingent labour: scale and method," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 2(3), pages 429-442.
    3. Phil James & Joanna Karmowska, 2012. "Unions and migrant workers: strategic challenges in Britain," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 18(2), pages 201-212, May.
    4. Ines Wagner, 2015. "EU posted work and transnational action in the German meat industry," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(2), pages 201-213, May.
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