Intersectionality and trade unions
The LUMINE workshops are intended to discuss topics related to the FIS2 project “Labor Unions, Migrant Workers and Ethnic Inequalities” (CUP: E53C24003840001), presented by the project members. The workshops aim to engage the DSRS academic and student community, as well as a wider audience interested in an in-depth discussion of these topics.
Abstract
This seminar focuses on how class-based trade unionism in Italy engages with an increasingly heterogeneous working class. Using an intersectional perspective, the paper under discussion compares one mainstream and one grassroots union to analyse how they respond to inequalities shaped by gender, race, age, gender identity, disability, and other power-laden social relations. Intersectionality is treated as a structural framework that highlights how unions identify the needs of marginalized workers, translate these needs into collective bargaining strategies, and incorporate these workers into their internal structures and decision-making processes. The seminar will address the extent to which these forms of unionism succeed in fostering the collective voice and participation of groups that are often underrepresented within the labour movement.
Paper
Irsectionality and trade unions:
a tale of class and identity?
Presenter
Lucia Amorosi, Università di Trento
Discussants
Francesco Bagnardi, Università di Trento
Aurora Perego, Università di Trento
Chair
Katia Pilati, Università di Trento