Social Movement Unionism

Abstract

The idea of social movement unionism (SMU) originated from debates between scholars in the fields of sociology of work, labor studies, and developmental studies in the late 1980s. These scholars were aiming to create a new vision of international labor studies in order to overcome academic Eurocentrism as well as the division of studies of “Western” workers and trade unions and workers and social movements in the global South. The first mentions of SMU described new forms of trade unionism emerging in the global South, where trade unions adhered to a more grassroots and mobilizing approach for promoting social change. The concept acknowledged this development and integrated the perspective of union activists which connected their work to a global analysis of: (i) capitalist expansions and transformations; (ii) patriarchal, technical, imperial, and military forms of power; and (iii) the appearance of new social movements. From its conception, SMU has been a term that seeks to both analyze and influence activism in a broader sense and trade unions' strategies in particular.