This book brings together many of the today s leading labour scholars to assess the current state and future prospects of organised labour world-wide. It offers analysis of the causes and extent of the movement s current malaise from a variety of vantage points. It provides eight national and regional studies China, Britain, France, the US, Eastern Europe, Brazil, Ghana and Cameroon that detail problems faced and the revitalisation strategies trade unions have pursued in response. It also offers fresh scholarly perspectives on a host of pressing labour issues: the extent and impact of global...

This book analyses contemporary trends in radical unionism in Europe. It contains nine country case-studies that probe the limits and possibilities of trade union renewal with a focus on radical activity. The editors follow a broad definition of radical unionism, including trade union organisations that can be characterised as radical either in terms of ideology and political identity or in terms of organising and mobilising activity. The ongoing economic crisis and consequent austerity measures, and employers' strategies for increasing labour market flexibility have encouraged the...