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Organising and mobilising Central and Eastern European migrant women working in care. A case study of a successful care workers’ strike in Switzerland in 2014

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Listed:
  • Adam Rogalewski

    (London Metropolitan University, UK)

Abstract

This article analyses the experience of Unia, the largest Swiss trade union, in organising Central and Eastern European (CEE) migrant workers in the context of the female workers’ strike that took place in 2014 at Primula, a small care company in Switzerland. The article argues that it is crucial to take into consideration the mobilisation potential of female workers from Central and Eastern Europe and that, combined with adequate support from the union, this could become a powerful tool for advancing their rights. Moreover, their mobilisation potential and collective agency, if properly channelled by trade unions, could also be deployed for the benefit of local workers. Finally, the article suggests that western European trade unions may want to reconsider their approach to organising Central and Eastern European women migrants and recognise their potential for active involvement in the union.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Rogalewski, 2018. "Organising and mobilising Central and Eastern European migrant women working in care. A case study of a successful care workers’ strike in Switzerland in 2014," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 24(4), pages 421-436, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:24:y:2018:i:4:p:421-436
    DOI: 10.1177/1024258918800407
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roland Erne & Natalie Imboden, 2015. "Equal pay by gender and by nationality: a comparative analysis of Switzerland’s unequal equal pay policy regimes across time," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 39(2), pages 655-674.
    2. Daniel Oesch, 2012. "Recruitment, Retention and Exit from Union Membership. An Analysis of Member Flows in Swiss Union Locals," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(2), pages 287-307, June.
    3. Gregor Gall & Jack Fiorito, 2012. "Union Commitment and Activism in Britain and the United States: Searching for Synthesis and Synergy for Renewal," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(2), pages 189-213, June.
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