Introduction

Abstract

This is not an auspicious beginning for a study of the motivations and values of trade union activists in the 21st century and yet it is the beginning. What is it about this woman in her forties that made her become an activist and what does the term signify to her? Does the apparent absence of class consciousness or any other active social identity or consciousness reflect the paralysis of the British labour movement and its inability to play any transformative role in a period in which the economic and political power of workers is particularly weak? Nicola attributed her recent union activity to her parents (her mother had been a shop steward and her father had told her to join the union) and her personal circumstances — she was divorced with a grown-up daughter and this meant she had some spare time. She had been approached by other activists to become a shop steward ‘I think it was I’d be phoning them up moaning about things’ and she had subsequently become an Equality Representative. She defined herself as ’not really interested in the political side of things’, she did not believe that people should be defined in terms of class, had not voted at the last election and despite being involved in the union’s regional women’s group did not define herself as a feminist. Like a number of the activists interviewed for this book the role of unions and personal motivations for activism were defined in terms of ‘fairness’ rather than any coherent political ideology.

I don’t think I really have any views on society to be honest… a lot of the time I live in a closed world… I’m probably as normal as you could define normal, just a normal individual, everyday, hardworking, conscientious, honest individual.

Nicola, Equality Rep