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Underground Waterlines : Explaining Political Quiescence of Ukrainian Labor Unions

Gorbach, Denys LU orcid (2019) In Focaal 2019(84). p.33-46
Abstract
In order to explore factors conditioning the political quietude of Ukrainian labor, this article analyzes ethnographic data collected at two large enterprises: the Kyiv Metro and the privatized electricity supplier Kyivenergo. Focusing on a recent labor conflict, I unpack various contexts condensed in it. I analyze the hegemonic configuration developed in the early 1990s, at the workplace and at the macro level, and follow its later erosion. This configuration has been based on labor hoarding, distribution of nonwage resources, and patronage networks, featuring the foreman as the nodal figure. On the macro scale, it relied on the mediation by unions, supported by resources accumulated during the Soviet era and the economic boom of the... (More)
In order to explore factors conditioning the political quietude of Ukrainian labor, this article analyzes ethnographic data collected at two large enterprises: the Kyiv Metro and the privatized electricity supplier Kyivenergo. Focusing on a recent labor conflict, I unpack various contexts condensed in it. I analyze the hegemonic configuration developed in the early 1990s, at the workplace and at the macro level, and follow its later erosion. This configuration has been based on labor hoarding, distribution of nonwage resources, and patronage networks, featuring the foreman as the nodal figure. On the macro scale, it relied on the mediation by unions, supported by resources accumulated during the Soviet era and the economic boom of the 2000s. The depletion of these resources has spelled the ongoing crisis of this configuration. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Focaal
volume
2019
issue
84
pages
33 - 46
publisher
Berghahn Books
ISSN
0920-1297
DOI
10.3167/fcl.2019.840103
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
0dabd811-5c47-4420-959c-f84788b7535b
date added to LUP
2024-09-11 17:27:09
date last changed
2024-09-24 17:39:11
@article{0dabd811-5c47-4420-959c-f84788b7535b,
  abstract     = {{In order to explore factors conditioning the political quietude of Ukrainian labor, this article analyzes ethnographic data collected at two large enterprises: the Kyiv Metro and the privatized electricity supplier Kyivenergo. Focusing on a recent labor conflict, I unpack various contexts condensed in it. I analyze the hegemonic configuration developed in the early 1990s, at the workplace and at the macro level, and follow its later erosion. This configuration has been based on labor hoarding, distribution of nonwage resources, and patronage networks, featuring the foreman as the nodal figure. On the macro scale, it relied on the mediation by unions, supported by resources accumulated during the Soviet era and the economic boom of the 2000s. The depletion of these resources has spelled the ongoing crisis of this configuration.}},
  author       = {{Gorbach, Denys}},
  issn         = {{0920-1297}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{84}},
  pages        = {{33--46}},
  publisher    = {{Berghahn Books}},
  series       = {{Focaal}},
  title        = {{Underground Waterlines : Explaining Political Quiescence of Ukrainian Labor Unions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/fcl.2019.840103}},
  doi          = {{10.3167/fcl.2019.840103}},
  volume       = {{2019}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}