@article{Richards_J-2025_212320,
title = {Trade unions in extreme environments: A case study of organising for industrial action during the Covid-19 pandemic},
author = {Richards, J. and Ellis, V.},
month = {sep},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Purpose – The Trade Union Act (2016) demands unions develop new organising tactics. The Covid-19 pandemic made such organising all the more difficult. The paper represents a case study of the development of a prototype organising model for extreme environments. Design/methodology/approach – It is a case study of a medium-sized branch of the University and College Union (UCU) organising to resist redundancies in an extreme environment. The study involved interviews with senior members of the Branch organising team, alongside a short survey of members convinced to vote in a ballot for industrial action. Findings – Findings reveal tactics most influential in a successful strategy to win a statutory ballot when faced with an extreme environment. Originality – Despite a recent surge of UK unions balloting members for industrial action, there is a dearth of research considering organising tactics and strategy under challenging legal and wider extreme circumstances. A key contribution is an empirical/practical account of a successful trade union campaign during extreme circumstances. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a modest dataset and unique extreme circumstances. Practical implications – A key strength is practical implications for union organising tactics and strategy when facing extreme environments. The findings have the potential to be shared across branches, as well as scaled up for larger bargaining units. Social implications – The organising model developed has the potential to influence contemporary union organising tactics and strategy, thus providing protection to working people, in increasingly extreme and restrictive environments.},
journal = {Employee Relations},
publisher = {Emerald Publishing},
url = {https://publichealthscotland.scot/id/212320},
}
