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When strong unions meet precarious migrants: Building trustful relations to unionise labour migrants in a high union-density setting

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  • Bjarke Refslund

Abstract

Based on case studies in a fish processing plant and a demolition company, this article shows how strong and institutionally embedded unions interact with migrant workers in a precarious labour market position in order to safeguard their working conditions and organise them. It shows how strong unions are in a good position to include migrant workers and thereby resist labour market segmentation. The strong Danish unions, faced with the serious challenges of intra-European labour migration, have increased their attention and resources devoted to organising migrant workers and including them in the IR model. The dynamic relation between migrant workers and national unions in this high-density setting is discussed, emphasising the need for building a trustful relation between the migrant workers and the unions in order to empower the migrants to better navigate the national labour market and increase the workers’ workplace power vis-a-vis employers.

Suggested Citation

  • Bjarke Refslund, 2021. "When strong unions meet precarious migrants: Building trustful relations to unionise labour migrants in a high union-density setting," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 42(2), pages 314-335, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:42:y:2021:i:2:p:314-335
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X18760989
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Charlotte Hooper Overgaard & Laust Høgedahl, 2026. "Employer strategies for undermining migrants’ power resources: Evidence from the Danish construction sector," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 47(1), pages 78-96, February.
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    3. Anna‐Lena Nadler & Elif Naz Kayran, 2026. "Job Precarity and Attitudes Towards Labour Unions: The Mitigating Role of Immigrant Background," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 64(1), pages 182-193, March.

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