Harrod, Jeffrey, and Robert O'Brien . 2002. Global Unions? Theory and Strategies of Organized Labour in the Global Political Economy

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, The, Oct, 2004 by Andrew R. Timming

In summary, the diverse analyses in this collection broadly converge toward the conclusion that, although the road to effective global unionism is fraught with obstacles and uncertainty, most importantly, it is not an unwalkable path. Their largely Gramscian and sometimes Weberian approach to labor internationalism goes well beyond the more circumscribed realm of politics and economics, embracing a bigger picture that takes into account how social and cultural aspects of civil society can affect industrial conflict. Overall, the book documents the struggles of organized labor to make itself a more visible force in the global political economy. It shines from time to time on the basis of its pragmatic suggestions for alternative labor action. Serious students of comparative labor, whether practitioners or academics, should read this book as a real attempt to answer the question, "What is the future of international collective bargaining?"

References

Munck, Ronaldo. (1988). The New International Labour Studies: An Introduction. London: Zed.

Munck, Ronaldo, and Peter Waterman (eds). (1999). Labour Worldwide in the Era of Globalization: Alternative Union Models in the New World Order. Basingstoke, UK: MacMillan.

Waterman, Peter. (1998). Globalization. Social Movements, and the New Internationalisms. London: Mansell.

Andrew R. Timming

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Ph.D. candidate)

University of Cambridge