'It's more than who you know'- networks and trade unions in the audio-visual industries

Many commentators have argued that a shift towards post‐industrial modes of production and employment has progressively undermined the conditions for collective labour organisation and regulation. The capacity of trade unions to respond to these changes and represent the interests of contingent work...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human resource management journal 2006-11, Vol.16 (4), p.376-392
Main Authors: Saundry, Richard, Stuart, Mark, Antcliff, Valerie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electronics industry
Freelance
Labor unions
Studies
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Summary:Many commentators have argued that a shift towards post‐industrial modes of production and employment has progressively undermined the conditions for collective labour organisation and regulation. The capacity of trade unions to respond to these changes and represent the interests of contingent workers has become a key issue in many industries in which employment has become increasingly fragmented. This article examines patterns of interest representation pursued by freelance workers in the UK audio‐visual sector. In particular, it examines three critical cases to explore the potential of networks of freelance workers for representing their interests and to consider the implications for trade unions as traditional collective actors. We conclude that networks can provide forums through which interests can be articulated, but their limitations in representing freelance workers offer trade unions a crucial opportunity to extend collective regulation.
ISSN:0954-5395
1748-8583
DOI:10.1111/j.1748-8583.2006.00026.x