WEST EUROPEAN TRADE UNIONS, LABOUR AND ‘THE PEOPLE’: From the golden era to the times of austerity

Gregoris Ioannou, Giorgos Charalambous

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter examines the relationship of West European trade unionism with populism as this has developed in the post-war era in order to discuss the form of this relationship in contemporary times. It interrogates especially how the labour movement and the question of the labour-capital dichotomy has been rhetorically and substantively linked to the notion of ‘a people’ and an ‘elite’ in antagonism with each other. The chapter focuses on the political and communicative dimension of trade union activism bringing the organisational and labour relations aspects of trade union work into the analysis only when these are directly relevant. It shows how West European trade unionism oriented itself within the national political systems and the means and forms of its appeal to the workers in the golden era of Keynesian capitalism. The chapter identifies the influence or lack thereof of populist discourses, diachronically but especially in the last decade, on trade union rhetoric, politics and mobilisation.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLeft Radicalism and Populism in Europe
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Pages204-222
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9781351133623
ISBN (Print)9781351133630
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2019

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