Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Latin American cleaners fight for survival: lessons for migrant activism
AU - Hearn, Julie
AU - Bergos, Monica
PY - 2011/7
Y1 - 2011/7
N2 - This article documents the significant successes and major setbacks of a campaign led by Latin American cleaners for union recognition and better pay and conditions at the University of London. It shows how they overcame fear, resignation, intimidation, racism, poverty and cultural and linguistic alienation to find their political agency. However, their collective empowerment was met by dismissals and deportations. The article argues that there are a number of important lessons for the trade union movement to learn; namely, the need to have specific legal and campaigning strategies in place to defend its migrant activists as well as calling for the regularisation of ‘irregular’ workers. In sum, the struggle for immigrant rights is at the cutting edge of the global working-class fightback.
AB - This article documents the significant successes and major setbacks of a campaign led by Latin American cleaners for union recognition and better pay and conditions at the University of London. It shows how they overcame fear, resignation, intimidation, racism, poverty and cultural and linguistic alienation to find their political agency. However, their collective empowerment was met by dismissals and deportations. The article argues that there are a number of important lessons for the trade union movement to learn; namely, the need to have specific legal and campaigning strategies in place to defend its migrant activists as well as calling for the regularisation of ‘irregular’ workers. In sum, the struggle for immigrant rights is at the cutting edge of the global working-class fightback.
KW - cleaning workers
KW - industrial disputes
KW - LAWAS
KW - London Living Wage
KW - migrant workers
KW - regularisation
KW - TELCO
KW - trade unions
KW - Unison
KW - University of London
U2 - 10.1177/0306396811406782
DO - 10.1177/0306396811406782
M3 - Journal article
VL - 53
SP - 65
EP - 82
JO - Race and Class
JF - Race and Class
SN - 0306-3968
IS - 1
ER -