Worker Protests In Post-communist Romania And Ukraine: Striking With Tied Hands University Press Scholarship Online

Worker Protests in Post-Communist Romania and Ukraine is a book about strategies of trade unions confronting employers in difficult conditions. The book's main idea is to study why and how successful forms of workers' interest representation could emerge in a hostile context. The post-communist context makes it difficult for workers and trade unions to mobilise, pose threats to employers, and break out of their political isolation, but even under such harsh conditions strategy matters for defending workers' rights and living standards. The cases studied in this book are 18 conflict episodes at 10 privatised plants in the Romanian steel industry and Ukraine's civil machine-building sector in the 2000s. This book should be relevant for anyone taking interest in how and to what extent workers can reassert their influence over the conditions of production in regions and economic sectors characterised by disinvestment (of which outsourcing and 'lean' methods of production are instances). This Is A Book About Strategies Of Trade Unions Confronting Employers In Difficult Conditions. The Book's Main Idea Is To Study Why And How Successful Forms Of Workers' Interest Representation Could Emerge In A Hostile Context. The Post-communist Context Makes It Difficult For Workers And Trade Unions To Mobilise, Pose Threats To Employers, And Break Out Of Their Political Isolation, But Even Under Such Harsh Conditions Strategy Matters For Defending Workers' Rights And Living Standards. The Cases Studied In This Book Are 18 Conflict Episodes At 10 Privatised Plants In The Romanian Steel Industry And Ukraine's Civil Machine-building Sector In The 2000s. This Book Should Be Relevant For Anyone Taking Interest In How And To What Extent Workers Can Reassert Their Influence Over The Conditions Of Production In Regions And Economic Sectors Characterised By Disinvestment (of Which Outsourcing And 'lean' Methods Of Production Are Instances). Theorizing Transformation From A Labour Perspective -- Labour In Romania And Ukraine : Two Approaches To Managing Worker Discontent -- A Theory Of Labour Strategy -- Struggles At The Plant -- Struggles For The Plant -- Contention In And For The Plant : Emergence And Outcomes -- The Difficult Road To Strategy. Mihai Varga. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Worker protests in post-communist Romania and Ukraine: Striking with tied hands: Mihai Varga 1 Half Title Page 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of tables 10 List of figures 11 Abbreviations of names of organizations used frequently 12 Preface 14 1. Theorizing transformation from a labour perspective 18 2. Labour in Romania and Ukraine: two approaches to managing worker discontent 35 3. A theory of labour strategy 61 4. Struggles at the plant 96 5. Struggles for the plant 129 6. Contention in and for the plant: emergence and outcomes 170 7. The difficult road to strategy 182 8. Conclusions 205 Bibliography 227 Index 240