Social Movement Unionism in Denmark, 1940–1985

Abstract

The advantage of mass organization has been extensively documented in labour history and organizational theory, but the analysis of social movement unionism in Denmark in the 20th century shows that mobilization from below has challenged the established centralized labour market organizations and enforced reforms with great success. The analysis concentrates on two waves of social movement unionism in Denmark: the Second World War and the long protest cycle 1967-1985. However, the apparent success of social movement unionism may not lead to the conclusion that social movement unionism represents an alternative to mass organizations. Social movement organizations relied heavily on the material and human resources trade unions, directly or indirectly, made available.