A global project seeking to provide labour and other social movements with analytical and strategic tools to build long-term counter-strategies and counter-movements to confront authoritarianism.
The rise of authoritarianism poses a double challenge for most trade unions. On the one hand, it threatens the fundamental principles of workers’ collective representation and solidarity, social justice and equality, and democratic decision making in the world of work and beyond. This forces most trade unions to take a strong position against authoritarianism. On the other hand, the fact that workers and even trade union members support authoritarian political forces means that by strongly positioning themselves against authoritarianism, unions may risk alienating their own members.
The project seeks to engage with this dilemma through an approach that combines action research with knowledge application and dissemination. The research explores the key factors shaping trade union responses to authoritarianism and the conditions under which labour can build and sustain impactful strategies and movements to counter authoritarianism. Externally, the responses are influenced by (1) the narratives and policies of authoritarian parties, (2) the existence or lack thereof of alternative narratives, and (3) the political and economic opportunity structure. Internally, and most importantly, these responses are shaped by union ideology and identity.
The research component consists of a comparative analysis of trade union responses in eight countries (Argentina, Brazil, Germany, India, Philippines, Türkiye, UK and US). Each country's research team comprises academics, trade union leaders and activists, and network’s certified labour educators/trainers, who will be critical to knowledge production and diffusion. The comparative work seeks to provide a useful conversation of the different political processes involved in constructing strategies, which are successful in countering authoritarian regimes and the conditions which constrain or facilitate such strategies. Knowledge application and dissemination involves research publications, including in local languages, and developing an educational package which provides labour and other progressive movements resisting authoritarian regimes with analytical tools for building long-term counter-strategies and counter-movements.
Edlira Xhafa
Universität Kassel