Democracy in Action: Democratic Theory and Trade Unionism

Abstract

PHILOSOPHY OF TRADE UNIONRIGHTS□ DEMOCRACY Democracy in Action: Democratic Theory and Trade Unionism I not avoid because believe stacked People know because taking They power or they against do do them care. they part not do so is avoid takingpart because theydo notknoworcare. Theydo so because they believe power is stacked against them STEVEN FRIEDMAN, Rhodes University/University of Johannesburg It democrats an is obstacle common to to now insist democracy for that people trade or unions who an claim evil are which either tobe democrats toinsist that tradeunionsareeither an obstacleto democracy or an evil which must be tolerated ifeveryone istoenjoytheright toassociatewithlike-minded people.Butinreality , tradeunionsareessential todemocracy - the larger and stronger unionsare,themoredemocratic willanysociety be. To understand whythis is so,we needtounderstand whatdemocracy is, how itcomestobe and how itis strengthened. Democracy - How itComes to be, How itComes to Work Democracy is derivedfrom two Greekwordsdemosorpeopleandkratos orpower.Itis,therefore , a system defined bytheideathat thepeople must exercise power.Themorepeoplewhowield powerovermoreissueswhichaffect them,the moredemocratic isa society. Inprinciple, theperfect democracy wouldbe one inwhichevery personenjoyedan entirely equal sayinalldecisions. This perfect democracy has never been achieved.But it is the standardby whichwe judge all democracies.The more people who have a right to decide,and themoretheissues overwhichtheyare able to decide,the more democratic is a society. Theright todecideisrarely ifeverexercised in isolation from otherhumanbeings.Because we arepart ofa people,ora political community, we exerciseitcollectively, in co-operation withotherswho shareourvaluesor interests. Collective action,people combining with each otherto influence publicdecisions,is thusthemotorof democracy. Thisis so intwoways:inwhatcausesdemocraciestocomeintobeinginthefirst placeandin whatenablesthemto becomemoredemocratic once theyareestablished. Formally undemocratic societiesbecome formal democracies- societieswhose rules are democratic - when people who are excluded from decisions gainthecapacity tocombine with othersin collectiveactionto demandinclusion and also acquirethepowerto ensurethis.But thefact that a formal democracy isachieveddoes notmeanthateveryone is able to participate in decisions- societieswithformally democratic rulescan exclude manyfromdecision-making. The right to decideis onlyoffered as a potential - itcan becomea reality onlyifpeople who are excludedactcollectively to forcetheir way into decisions. Many citizensof formaldemocraciesmay, therefore, experience thecontradiction discussed by the Indiantheorist ParthaChatterjee in his writings on shack-dwellers. Because theylivein a formal democracy, theyare rights-bearing citizenswitha say.Buttheir poverty orsomeincapacitynotof theirown makingforcesthemto acceptthedecisionsofothers. The onlywayin whichthesecitizensin theory can becomecitizens in practiceis by usingcollective actionto turn thepromise ofa sayintoa reality. This makes an important point about why many people avoid takingpart in decisions. Politicaltheory oftenassumesthatpeople who do notparticipate are ignorant orapathetic. The democratic theorist Robert Dahl arguedthatcitizens avoided politicsbecause theyhad better things to do - people need tobe really angry to becomepolitically activebecause theyprefer to get on withlivingtheirlives.Similarly, Mancur Olsonbelievedthatitwas rational to avoidjoining associations because doingthiswould cost people timeand effort and theywouldgetlittle in return. Anotherview suggeststhatpeople avoid takingpart simplybecause theydon't knowthatthisis whatcitizens aremeantto do. In thisview,whichunderpins democracy promotionworkby Europeanand North American governments in theglobalSouth,people might be morelikely to wanta sayiftheyknewmore abouthow democracy works. Theseviewsmight seemlogicalfrom thetopof society -butmuchless so at thebottom. Those who see non-participation as a choice live in worldswherepeople havethepowertochoose. Butatthebottom ofsociety, peoplemaywantto takepartbutfeelthattheycannotbecausethey lackthepowertodo so. ThisistheviewofJames Scott, whose WeaponsoftheWeakarguedthat peoplewho weresubject tothepowerofothers and seemedto acceptthis,reallywanteda say butrealisedthattheir lackofpowermeantthat, iftheytried tospeak,they wouldbe morelikely to be madeto suffer thanto advancetheir interests . And so, he argued,they pretendedto respectauthority but triedto undermine it in wayswhichwouldnotgetthemintotrouble. People do notavoidtaking partbecause they do notknowor care.Theydo so becausethey believe power is stacked against them. Democracy canbe deepenedonlyifpeoplewho feelpowerless to speakoractgainthepowerto do so. How do tradeunionsfitintothisframework ? Trade Unionsas Democratic Engine This understanding of democracy makestrade unionism a potentially important force indemocracy 'sarrival, butessential in ensuring thatsocietyis democratic inpractice. It is, of course,possibleforsocietiesto win democratic rights without unionism. Thefight for formaldemocracy requiresonly thattherebe organisedgroupswho feel excludedand who INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 18Volume 18Issue 4201 2 PHILOSOPHY OF TRADE UNIONRIGHTS ~1 DEMOCRACY enjoythecapacity towinruleswhichallowmore people a say.In Africa at present, thefight for democracy is ledbyprofessional associations and non-governmental organisations. Unions areweak or non-existent and so working people are not organised todemand theright totakepart indecisions .Thisisa familiar pattern intheglobalSouth - inAsiaand partsoftheAmericas, wheretrade unionorganisation isweak,workers areforced to rely on others towinformal democracy. But in Europe,earlierindustrialisation meant that workers unionised eventhough unionswere initially outlawed - theBritish TolpuddleMartyrs, banishedforforming a workers' association, are themostfamousexample.Workers did achieve theorganisation neededtopressforinclusion in decisionsand so unionswereoftenkeyparticipantsinthefight fordemocratic rights. Scholarsand theorists of democracyrarely acknowledge...