The Far Right in the Workplace

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Frontmatter

2. Chapter 1. Introduction

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The introductory chapter situates the book’s object of inquiry against the backdrop of the electoral rise and mainstreaming of far-right parties throughout much of Europe in general and the six countries under examination (Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland) in particular. In taking stock of the 2010s as a decade of electoral growth and widely perceived mainstreaming of the far right in numerous countries, the chapter poses the question of the implications for civil society actors in general and the world of labor and trade unions in particular. In this vein, the chapter provides an initial overview of the research questions and methodology, grounded in a theory–practice dialogue and geared toward linking supply and demand-side aspects of the relationship between far right and labor at the national and workplace levels in a comparative perspective, and the overall structure of the book with the eight chapters that follow.

3. Chapter 2. The Far Right and the Workers: An Overview

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   This chapter elaborates on the conceptual and methodological framework of the book, including the case selection and differences in the background conditions across the six countries. The chapter beings with conceptual clarifications on key terms such as “workers,” “far right,” and associated terms such as “right-wing populism,” followed by a literature review on the relationship between the far right and the workers, situating in the process our book as the first comparative study linking the supply and demand sides of working-class support for the far right at the national and workplace levels. The ensuing methodological section discusses the triangulation of different source materials, including semi-structured interviews, and the theory–practice dialogue. Finally, the comparative overview presents initial considerations on differences across the six countries along three background dimensions: the far-right parties at the party-system level; the trade union landscapes and systems of industrial relations; and far-right presence at the workplace sites chosen for the company case studies.

4. Chapter 3. Belgium

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The Belgium chapter first presents an overview of the trade union landscape dominated by the three historical “pillarized” unions with representative status and the system of workplace representation based on “social elections.” This is followed by a discussion of the Vlaams Belang’s messaging strategy on labor issues, centered on immigration, welfare nativism as well as (more recently) pension policy and opposition to “social dumping,” and its organizing strategy of trying to build its own trade union in the early 2010s before abandoning the attempt. The company case study of DAF Trucks in Westerlo examines far-right challenges at the workplace level, taking as its starting point the Vlaams Belang’s leafleting action against “social dumping” in front of the factory gates in 2015, followed by an analysis of ACV/CSC union actors’ assessment of the extent of far-right traction in the workplace and the union’s education-centered response strategy against it.

5. Chapter 4. France

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The France chapter first presents an overview of the politically divided trade union landscape with five representative unions at the national level and the system of workplace representation based on “occupational elections.” This is followed by a discussion of the Front National/Rassemblement National’s messaging strategy on labor issues, centered on immigration, law and order, welfare nativism as well as (more recently) elements of social protectionism. An overview is then presented of the history of postwar right-wing “independent unions” as well as the Front National’s short-lived and unsuccessful attempt at creating its own unions in the mid-1990s. The company case study of PSA Trémery examines far-right challenges at the workplace level, taking as its starting point the region- and sector-specific forms of FN/RN presence, followed by an analysis of CGT union actors’ assessment of the extent of far-right traction in the workplace and the union’s education-centered response strategy against it.

6. Chapter 5. Germany

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The Germany chapter first presents an overview of the trade union landscape dominated by the DGB and the system of dual labor representation based on works councils. This is followed by a discussion of the Alternative for Germany’s messaging strategy on labor issues, centered on immigration, and its organizing strategy of trying to establish workers’ platforms within the party. An overview is then presented of far-right workplace groups, most notably Zentrum Automobil and its links to the AfD and various far-right networks. The company case study of Daimler Stuttgart-Untertürkheim examines far-right challenges at the workplace level, taking as its starting point the history of ZA presence in the factory, followed by an analysis of DGB union actors’ assessment of the extent of far-right traction in the workplace and the union’s workplace-level publicity-centered response strategy against it.

7. Chapter 6. Hungary

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The Hungary chapter first presents an overview of the politically divided trade union landscape with five national-level union confederations and the industrial relations context characterized by a lack of tripartite social dialogue and weak workplace representation. This is followed by a discussion of the messaging strategies of Fidesz and Jobbik on labor issues as well as their notable shifts over time. An overview is then presented of right-wing trade unions, most notably Munkástanácsok (and, to a lesser extent, LIGA) and their links to the Fidesz government. The company case study of ZF Eger—supplemented by a smaller-scale examination of Dunaferr in Dunaújváros—examines far-right challenges at the workplace level, taking as its starting point the local political constellation in the city, followed by an analysis of MASZSZ union actors’ assessment of the extent of far-right traction in the workplace and the union’s economic-unionist response strategy against it.

8. Chapter 7. Italy

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The Italy chapter first presents an overview of the trade union landscape dominated by the three main union confederations and the system of workplace representation based on “unitary union representations” (RSU). This is followed by a discussion of Lega’s messaging strategy on labor issues, centered on immigration, pensions, and tax policy, and its organizing strategy of proximity to the UGL and pro-employer labor consultants. An overview is then presented of the UGL as a historically established right-wing trade union actor and its recent links to the Lega. The company case study of Lamborghini—supplemented by smaller-scale analyses of Schnellecke and Berco—examines far-right challenges at the workplace level, taking as its starting point the local political constellation in Sant’Agata Bolognese, followed by an analysis of CGIL union actors’ assessment of the extent of far-right traction in the workplace and the union’s education-centered response strategy against it.

9. Chapter 8. Poland

   Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

   Abstract

   The Poland chapter first presents an overview of the trade union landscape, characterized by bipolar division between the OPZZ and Solidarność, as well as the industrial relations context, characterized by irregular tripartite social dialogue and weak workplace representation. This is followed by a discussion of the messaging strategy of Law and Justice and its predecessor parties on labor issues as well as PiS’s current ties to Solidarność. An overview is then presented of Solidarność’s history and current activity as a trade union with an increasingly strident national-conservative profile on socio-political issues. The company case study of FCA Bielsko-Biała/Tychy examines these challenges at the workplace level, taking as its starting point the history of Solidarność presence in the factory and the wider region, followed by an analysis of OPZZ union actors’ assessment of the extent of far-right traction in the workplace and the union’s economic-unionist response strategy against it.

10. Chapter 9. Conclusions: The Far Right and the Workers in Comparative Perspective

    Seongcheol Kim, Samuel Greef, Wolfgang Schroeder

    Abstract

    This comparative chapter develops a classificatory scheme of far-right messaging and organizing strategies at the national and workplace levels as well as established trade unions’ response strategies in the six countries. Specifically, the analysis presents classifications of far-right parties’ social-policy offers and industrial-policy interventions within the automobile sector as well as the political positionings and organizing strategies of right-wing to far-right workplace actors at the leadership and workplace levels, while juxtaposing these classifications with workplace salience or relative coverage within the automobile sector as an indicator for the resonance attained by these strategies in the workplace contexts examined in the book. The analysis then identifies different response formats and procedures of established trade unions as well as the extent of their coverage. Ultimately, the chapter identifies three main country clusters with a relative convergence in patterns of far-right strategies and trade union counter-strategies: Belgium/France, Germany/Italy, and Hungary/Poland.

11. Backmatter