IS JOHN KELLY’S MOBILIZATION THEORY STILL FRESH IN ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY FOR TRADE UNIONS?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal contributions and tensions of John Kelly’s “Rethinking Industrial Relations: Mobilization, Collectivism and Long Waves” and to discuss whether it is still fresh or not in its 20th anniversary for the industrial relations IR literature and trade unions. Kelly’s most important contribution to the IR literature is to create a new way of thinking about IR. After the mobilization theory was written, IR literature began to focus more heavily on Kelly’s subject matters such as, worker mobilization, worker collectivism, union activism, power relations, long waves, organizing and union revitalization. On the other hand, Kelly’s some foresights about union revitalization and long waves have still not became a reality. I argue that this question is not a theoretical deficiency, on the contrary, it contributes to a sustainable utilization of the theory for trade unions under the conditions of neo-liberal politics and employers’ hostility to union organizing

Keywords

• Mobilization Theory,Industrial Relations Theory,Trade Unions

JOHN KELLY’NİN YİRMİ YAŞINDAKİ MOBİLİZASYON TEORİSİ SENDİKALAR İÇİN HALA YENİ Mİ?

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, John Kelly’nin mobilizasyon teorisinin katkılarını ve teorideki gerilimli alanları göstermek ve bu sayede yirminci yılına giren teorinin güncelliğini koruyup korumadığı hakkında bir tartışma yapmaktır. Kelly’nin endüstri ilişkileri teorisine yaptığı en önemli katkı endüstri ilişkileri hakkında yeni bir düşünüş tarzı ortaya çıkarmasıdır. Kelly’nin teorisinden sonra endüstri ilişkileri yazını işçi mobilizasyonu, işçi kolektivizmi, güç ilişkileri, uzun dalgalar, sendikal canlanma ve örgütlenme gibi konulara çok daha yoğun bir şekilde odaklanmaya başlamıştır. Öte yandan, teorinin uzun dalgalar ve sendikal canlanma ile ilgili bazı öngörüleri henüz hayata geçmemiştir. Çalışmanın temel iddiası, bu sorunun teorik bir eksikliğe işaret etmediği yönündedir. Aksine bu durum, neo-liberal politikalar ve işverenlerin sendika düşmanlığı koşulları altında, teoride yer alan önerilerin devamlı taze kalmasını sağlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Mobilizasyon Teorisi,Endüstri İlişkileri Teorisi,Sendikalar

References

1. Ackers, P. (2002). Reframing employment relations: The case for neo-pluralism, Industrial Relations Journal, 33(1), 2-19.
2. Alinsky, S. D. (1971). Rules for radicals: A practical primer for realistic radicals, New York: Vintage Books.
3. Atzeni, M. (2009). Searching for injustice and finding solidarity? A conribution to the mobilization theory debate. Industrial Relations Journal, 40(1), 5-16.
4. Atzeni, M. (2010). Workplace conflict: Mobilization and solidarity in Argentina. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
5. Badigannavar, V., & Kelly, J. (2005). Why are some union organizing campaigns more succesful than others. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 43(3), 515-535.
6. Badigannavar, V., & Kelly, J. (2011). Partnership and organizing: An empirical assessment of two contrasting approaches to union revitalization in the UK. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 32(1), 5-27.
7. Beirne, M., Hurrell, S., & Wilson, F. (2019). Mobilising for equality? Understanding the impact of grass-roots agency and third party representation, Industrial Relations Journal, 50(1), 41-56.
8. Blyton, P., & Turnbull, P. (2004). The dynamics of employee relations, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

9. Buecher, S. M. (2000). Social movements in advanced capitalism, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
10. Castles, F. G. (2006). A race to the bottom?, In C. Pierson & F.G. Castles (eds), The Welfare State Reader (pp. 226-244), Cambridge: Politiy Press.
11. Crouch, C. (2011). The strange non-death of neoliberalism, Cambridge: Polity Press.
12. Darlington, R. (2009a). Leadership and union militancy: The case of the RMT. Capital & Class, 33(3), 3-32.
13. Darlington, R. (2009b). Organising, militancy and revitalisation: The case of the RMT. In G. Gall (ed.), Union Revitalisation in Advanced Economies: Assessing the Contribution of Union Organising (pp. 83-106). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
14. Darlington, R. (2018). The leadership component of Kelly's mobilisation theory: contribution, tensions, limitations and further development, Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 617-638.
15. Fairbrother, P. (2005). Review article: G. Gall, union organizing. campaining for trade union recognition. Capital & Class, 87, 257-262.
16. Gall, G. (1999). What is to be done with organised labour, Historical Materialism, 5, 327- 343.
17. Gall, G. (2009). What is to be done with union organising?. In G. Gall (ed.), Union Revitalisation in Advanced Economies: Assessing the Contribution of Union Organising (pp. 1-16). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
18. Gall, G. (2018). The Uses, abuses and non-uses of rethinking ındustrial relations in understanding ındustrial relaitons and organised labour, Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 681-700.
19. Gall, G., & Holgate, J. (2018). Rethinking industrial relations: appraisal, application and augmentation. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 561-578.
20. Heery, (2018). Fusion or replacement? Labour and the new social movements, Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 661-680.
21. Holgate, J., Simms, M., & Tapia, M. (2018). The limitations of the theory and practice of mobilization in trade union organizing, Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 599-616.
22. ILO (2015). Global wage report 2014-15. Geneva: ILO.
23. Jenkins, J. C. (1983). Resource mobilization theory and the study of social movements, Annual Review of Sociology, 9, 527-553.
24. Kaufman, B. (2018). Rethinking industrial relations or at least the British radical frame. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 577-598.
25. Kelly, J. (1998). Rethinking industrial relations: Mobilization, collectivism and long waves. London: Routledge.
26. Kelly, J. (2018). Rethinking industrial relations revisited. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 701-709.
27. Kirk, E. (2018). The (re)organisation of conflict at work: Mobilisation, Counter- mobilisation and the displacement of grievance expressions, Economic and Industrial Democracy, 39(4), 639-660.
28. Martin, R. (1999). Mobilization theory: A new paradigm for industrial relations. Human Relations, 52(9), 1205-1216.
29. McAlevey, J. (2016). No shortcuts: Organizing for power in the new gilded age, New York: Oxford University Press.
30. Morris, A. & Herring, C. (1984). Theory and Research in social movements: A critical review, yy: Westview Press.
31. Tilly, C. (1978). From mobilization to revolution. New York: Random House.