Roots of Resistance to Urban Water Privatization in Bolivia: The “New Working Class,” the Crisis of Neoliberalism, and Public Services1

This paper analyzes the roots of resistance to the privatization of public services in the context of the changes to class formation in Bolivia. Based upon two case studies of urban water privatization, it seeks to explain why the social coalitions that have emerged to protest the privatization of p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International labor and working class history 2007-10, Vol.71 (1), p.8-28
Main Author: Spronk, Susan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Contracts
Demonstrations & protests
Economic policy
Labor unions
Militancy
Mines
Neoliberalism
Political power
Politics
Privatization
Public services
Social activism
Structural adjustment
Tin
Urban areas
Wages & salaries
Water supply
Water utilities
Working class
Working conditions
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper analyzes the roots of resistance to the privatization of public services in the context of the changes to class formation in Bolivia. Based upon two case studies of urban water privatization, it seeks to explain why the social coalitions that have emerged to protest the privatization of public water services in Bolivia have been led by territorially-based organizations composed of rural-urban and multiclass alliances rather than public-sector unions. It argues that protest against the privatization of water utilities in Bolivia must be understood within the context of neoliberal economic restructuring and the emergence of what has been termed the “new working class,” which is now primarily urban and engaged in informal forms of work.
ISSN:0147-5479
1471-6445
DOI:10.1017/S0147547907000312