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The emergence of labour utopias : Solidarity, visibility and agency in the Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union strike

Linderoth, Kristin LU (2025) In Economic and Industrial Democracy
Abstract

In 2003, the Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union (Kommunal) called a nationwide strike, demanding a pay rise for all members in the public sector. Drawing on oral history interviews with workplace representatives and local union officials, the article examines how the struggle enabled changes in subjectivity, generating utopian visions for increased visibility and agency for municipal workers. This process is analysed using Rick Fantasia’s concept ‘cultures of solidarity’, highlighting the strike’s prefigurative dimensions. The article suggests that the study of strike action is a unique opportunity to explore how utopian visions of more egalitarian labour relations emerge among workers.

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
cultures of solidarity, municipal workers, public sector, strikes, utopia
in
Economic and Industrial Democracy
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:105017770102
ISSN
0143-831X
DOI
10.1177/0143831X251377314
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1b8c0403-2631-44b5-8099-feae3776c0f5
date added to LUP
2025-12-05 14:46:45
date last changed
2025-12-05 14:47:48
@article{1b8c0403-2631-44b5-8099-feae3776c0f5,
  abstract     = {{<p>In 2003, the Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union (Kommunal) called a nationwide strike, demanding a pay rise for all members in the public sector. Drawing on oral history interviews with workplace representatives and local union officials, the article examines how the struggle enabled changes in subjectivity, generating utopian visions for increased visibility and agency for municipal workers. This process is analysed using Rick Fantasia’s concept ‘cultures of solidarity’, highlighting the strike’s prefigurative dimensions. The article suggests that the study of strike action is a unique opportunity to explore how utopian visions of more egalitarian labour relations emerge among workers.</p>}},
  author       = {{Linderoth, Kristin}},
  issn         = {{0143-831X}},
  keywords     = {{cultures of solidarity; municipal workers; public sector; strikes; utopia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Economic and Industrial Democracy}},
  title        = {{The emergence of labour utopias : Solidarity, visibility and agency in the Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union strike}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0143831X251377314}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0143831X251377314}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}