Migratory Movements: the Position, the Outlook. Charting a Theory and Practice for Trade Unions

Abstract

Immigration, the presence of foreigners or workers who are considered not to belong to the ‘traditional national or native’ community, has always constituted a challenge for organised workers and their unions. Confronting this challenge, the labour organisations have developed — or must develop — several different strategies. They have different objectives and are implemented at different times. The result is that these strategies can appear incoherent or even contradictory. In this chapter, we will try to see to what extent they are or are not incoherent or contradictory. The dimension of ‘time and moment’ is a strategic variable in understanding the coherence of these strategies.

This text was presented to the ‘Conference on Trade Union Strategies to combat Racism and Xenophobia’ organised by the European Trade Union Confederation on 3 and 4 of December 1993, in Brussels. It was revised somewhat, in reaction to the comments and remarks it generated. The theoretical reflection on labour union strategies has been restructured and systematised.