A New Theory of Strikes: Moving Beyond Eurocentrism

Abstract

Industrial relations theory suffers from an economistic and Eurocentric bias, focusing on trade unions and the workplace. A new theory of strikes has to take a broader view and include other places of mobilisation and other forms of organisation. Apart from the classical lines of the analysis of trade unions, there is an alternative line of strike analysis focused on mass strikes and social movement unionism. Both lines of strike research come with important insights and can be combined with labour geography in order to provide the basis for a non-Eurocentric and non-economistic theory of strikes.