Comparative Analysis on Union Revitalisation in the Global South - Case Studies of the Central Únicados Trabalhadores (CUT), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)
- Abstract
This study is aimed at examining and comparing revitalisation activities conducted by the three Southern unions labelled as social movement unionism (SMU) such as the Central Únicados Trabalhadores (CUT) from Brazil, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
This study raises some theoretical issues such as the weakness of ‘multi-dimensional approach’, relationship between revitalisation and trade union power resources, and the relationship between union ideological identity and movement/organisational identity.
In the main chapters, dominant forms of strategies conducted by the three Southern unions along four revitalisation dimensions such as membership, economic, political and institutional vitality are presented with comparative analysis using four factors: socio/economic change, political and industrial relations institutions, employers and state’s strategy and union identity.
This study reaffirms that union’s strategic choice is influenced not only by external environments but by internal dynamics including union identity and leadership. In particular, this study cases demonstrates that strong tradition of SMU which has still remained has had considerable impact on union’s strategic choice, even though they are operating in different external environments.
Lastly, this study suggests that the outcome of revitalisation activities should be measured in more careful manner. As much as the meaning of revitalisation varies cross the countries, the measurement of outcomes also varies. In particular, this study emphasises that union revitalisation process should be interpreted and guided by power resources perspective on the longer term.