Solidarity and Contentiousness in Migrant Worker Mobilisation : Syndicalist Unionisation in Sweden
(2026) In Work, Employment and Society- Abstract
- This article analyses the mobilisation of migrant workers in SAC, the main syndicalist trade union in Sweden. It theorises mobilisation and solidarity from a labour process perspective and, based on ethnography, identifies accessibility, contentiousness and belonging as key mechanisms to explain the union’s form of mobilisation. By drawing on the class struggle unionism framework, it conceptualises two strategies – of ‘collapsing servicing and organising’ and ‘participation follows action’ – to explain why and how SAC is successful in its mobilisation efforts. It shows that SAC’s confrontational methods mobilise a migrant worker community where workers’ intersubjective experiences of migration and precariousness shape solidarity and build... (More)
- This article analyses the mobilisation of migrant workers in SAC, the main syndicalist trade union in Sweden. It theorises mobilisation and solidarity from a labour process perspective and, based on ethnography, identifies accessibility, contentiousness and belonging as key mechanisms to explain the union’s form of mobilisation. By drawing on the class struggle unionism framework, it conceptualises two strategies – of ‘collapsing servicing and organising’ and ‘participation follows action’ – to explain why and how SAC is successful in its mobilisation efforts. It shows that SAC’s confrontational methods mobilise a migrant worker community where workers’ intersubjective experiences of migration and precariousness shape solidarity and build associational power. The article concludes that SAC’s mobilisation of migrant workers is groundbreaking in a Swedish context and that class struggle unionism has plenty to offer also to other unions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/87fa9047-3979-458f-ac87-fb3e51c71c93
- author
- Ahlstrand, Rasmus LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-05-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- in
- Work, Employment and Society
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105038620966
- ISSN
- 0950-0170
- DOI
- 10.1177/09500170261432085
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 87fa9047-3979-458f-ac87-fb3e51c71c93
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-12 12:45:09
- date last changed
- 2026-07-08 04:00:53
@article{87fa9047-3979-458f-ac87-fb3e51c71c93,
abstract = {{This article analyses the mobilisation of migrant workers in SAC, the main syndicalist trade union in Sweden. It theorises mobilisation and solidarity from a labour process perspective and, based on ethnography, identifies accessibility, contentiousness and belonging as key mechanisms to explain the union’s form of mobilisation. By drawing on the class struggle unionism framework, it conceptualises two strategies – of ‘collapsing servicing and organising’ and ‘participation follows action’ – to explain why and how SAC is successful in its mobilisation efforts. It shows that SAC’s confrontational methods mobilise a migrant worker community where workers’ intersubjective experiences of migration and precariousness shape solidarity and build associational power. The article concludes that SAC’s mobilisation of migrant workers is groundbreaking in a Swedish context and that class struggle unionism has plenty to offer also to other unions.}},
author = {{Ahlstrand, Rasmus}},
issn = {{0950-0170}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Work, Employment and Society}},
title = {{Solidarity and Contentiousness in Migrant Worker Mobilisation : Syndicalist Unionisation in Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09500170261432085}},
doi = {{10.1177/09500170261432085}},
year = {{2026}},
}