Burning Down the House? On the ‘New-wave’ Literature on Worker Representation, and the Case for the Space Between

Abstract

A growing and significant ‘new-wave’ of literature maintains that studies on equality and inclusion in labour representation would benefit from a stronger focus on collective action led by (migrant) precarious workers, both within but especially beyond established unions. The debate also incorporates and overlaps with the growing recognition of intersectional approaches to industrial relations and the need to think more inclusively about identities at work. Starting from a reflection on these theoretical developments, the article discusses the (direct or indirect) implications of this literature for the established forms of interest representation and argues that the move to a more inclusive and less institutionalised approach would benefit from a greater sensitivity to organisational tensions and representative claims. In particular, it cautions against a binary and deterministic notion of worker organising and makes the case for considering the ‘space between’, which allows for a recognition of the ambivalent nature of trade unions.