Sources of Labour Union Power

It is beyond contention that the power of organised labour in Britain has witnessed a marked fall in the last thirty years. Attempts to rebuild that powerbase in a world of neo-liberal globalisation and the ascendancy of employer power means that it is time to go back to basics to try to understand the theoretical sources of labour union power. Using a simple three-fold schema developed by Eric Batstone as a starting point, this paper assesses the issues of creating and exercising collective mobilisation. The potential to realise the possibilities are then discussed through the putting forward of a number of proposals for discussion.