IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecoind/v45y2024i3p653-673.html

Migrant workers navigating the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK: Resilience, reworking and resistance

Author

Listed:
  • Lilian Miles

    (School of Organisations, Economy and Society, Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, UK)

  • Tim Freeman

    (Middlesex University Business School, UK)

  • Amanda Polzin

    (School of Management and Marketing, Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, UK)

  • Rishab Reitz

    (International Rescue Committee in Berlin, Germany)

  • Richard Croucher

    (Middlesex University Business School, UK)

Abstract

Drawing on qualitative data, in this article the authors apply Katz’s conceptual framework of agency as resilience, reworking and resistance practices to theorise UK migrant workers’ responses to worsened employment conditions, stress of unemployment and reduced incomes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The article draws attention to the range of micro practices these workers adopted to survive and rework existing conditions to their advantage – actions which rarely feature in academic writing, yet which recognise those who do not ‘resist’ as conscious agents who exercise power. Meanwhile, although outright oppositional responses to deteriorating employment conditions are rare, the article demonstrates the nature of workplace union representation as a central factor in resisting managerial control. The article extends Katz’s framework by considering the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind migrant workers’ responses, to understand better their dynamic choices of resilience, reworking and resistance practices in the chaotic circumstances of the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Lilian Miles & Tim Freeman & Amanda Polzin & Rishab Reitz & Richard Croucher, 2024. "Migrant workers navigating the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK: Resilience, reworking and resistance," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 45(3), pages 653-673, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:45:y:2024:i:3:p:653-673
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X231199874
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0143831X231199874
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0143831X231199874?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eva Herman & Jill Rubery & Gail Hebson, 2021. "A case of employers never letting a good crisis go to waste? An investigation of how work becomes even more precarious for hourly paid workers under Covid," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(5), pages 442-457, September.
    2. Gabriella Alberti & Davide Però, 2018. "Migrating Industrial Relations: Migrant Workers’ Initiative Within and Outside Trade Unions," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(4), pages 693-715, December.
    3. Agnieszka Rydzik & Sundari Anitha, 2020. "Conceptualising the Agency of Migrant Women Workers: Resilience, Reworking and Resistance," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(5), pages 883-899, October.
    4. Kavita Datta & Cathy McIlwaine & Yara Evans & Joanna Herbert & Jon May & Jane Wills, 2007. "From Coping Strategies to Tactics: London's Low‐Pay Economy and Migrant Labour," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 404-432, June.
    5. Davide Però, 2020. "Indie Unions, Organizing and Labour Renewal: Learning from Precarious Migrant Workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(5), pages 900-918, October.
    6. Maite Tapia & Gabriella Alberti, 2019. "Unpacking the Category of Migrant Workers in Trade Union Research: A Multi-Level Approach to Migrant Intersectionalities," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 33(2), pages 314-325, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Verna Alcalde‐González & Ana Gálvez‐Mozo & Alan Valenzuela‐Bustos, 2024. "Social movement unionism in Spain's feminized precarious service sector: Criticism, cooperation and competition," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(1), pages 154-173, March.
    2. Pannini, Elisa, 2023. "Winning a battle against the odds: a cleaners’ campaign," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112569, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Saerom Han, 2023. "Mobilizing within and beyond the Labor Union: A Case of Precarious Workers’ Collective Actions in North Africa," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 76(4), pages 674-696, August.
    4. Lucie Trlifajová & Lenka Formánková, 2023. "‘Finally, We Are Well, Stable’: Perception of Agency in the Biographies of Precarious Migrant Workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(6), pages 1583-1604, December.
    5. Joyce Jiang & Marek Korczynski, 2024. "The Role of Community Organisations in the Collective Mobilisation of Migrant Workers: The Importance of a ‘Community’-Oriented Perspective," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(2), pages 339-357, April.
    6. Verdin, Rachel & O'Reilly, Jacqueline, 2021. "A gender agenda for the future of work in a digital age of pandemics: Jobs, skills and contracts," WSI Studies 24, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    7. Dawson Chris & Veliziotis Michail & Hopkins Benjamin, 2014. "Assimilation of the migrant work ethic," Working Papers 20141407, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    8. Ladkin, Adele & Mooney, Shelagh & Solnet, David & Baum, Tom & Robinson, Richard & Yan, Hongmin, 2023. "A review of research into tourism work and employment: Launching the Annals of Tourism Research curated collection on tourism work and employment," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    9. Haller Alina-Petronela & Hârşan Georgia-Daniela Tacu, 2021. "Causes of Sustainable Tourism Resilience in Central and Eastern Europe. The Case of Three Countries: Romania, Bulgaria and Poland," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 1251-1268, December.
    10. Chris Forde & Robert MacKenzie, 2010. "The Ethical Agendas of Employment Agencies Towards Migrant Workers in the UK: Deciphering the Codes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 31-41, December.
    11. Charles Gyan & Batholomew Chireh & Noelle Chuks-Eboka & Ata Senior Yeboah, 2023. "Reconsidering the Conceptualization of Resilience: The Experiences of Refugee and Immigrant Youth in Montreal," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1591-1615, August.
    12. Davide Però & John Downey, 2024. "Advancing Workers’ Rights in the Gig Economy through Discursive Power: The Communicative Strategies of Indie Unions," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(1), pages 140-160, February.
    13. Francesco E Iannuzzi & Devi Sacchetto, 2022. "Outsourcing and workers’ resistance practices in Venice’s hotel industry: The role of migrants employed by cooperatives," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(2), pages 877-897, May.
    14. Cohen, Nicola & Richardson, James, 2015. "‘I didn't feel like I was alone anymore’: evaluating self-organised employee coping practices conducted via Facebook," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 65024, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Davide Però, 2020. "Indie Unions, Organizing and Labour Renewal: Learning from Precarious Migrant Workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(5), pages 900-918, October.
    16. Jill Rubery & Isabelle Bi-Swinglehurst & Anthony Rafferty, 2024. "Part-time work and productivity," Insight Papers 031, The Productivity Institute.
    17. Julie Vinck & Wim Van Lancker, 2020. "An Intersectional Approach towards Parental Employment in Families with a Child with a Disability: The Case of Belgium," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(2), pages 228-261, April.
    18. Tom Barratt & Caleb Goods & Alex Veen, 2020. "‘I’m my own boss…’: Active intermediation and ‘entrepreneurial’ worker agency in the Australian gig-economy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(8), pages 1643-1661, November.
    19. Cathy McIlwaine & Anastasia Bermúdez, 2011. "The Gendering of Political and Civic Participation among Colombian Migrants in London," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(7), pages 1499-1513, July.
    20. Andrea Signoretti, 2021. "Workplace processes and employment opportunities for vulnerable social groups," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(1), pages 77-92, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:45:y:2024:i:3:p:653-673. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ekhist.uu.se/english.htm .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.