ILR International Labour Review International Labour Review 0020-7780 1564-913X 10.1111/ilr.12356 Union collective action, social movement unionism and worker freedom in New Zealand PARKER Jane jparker@etui.org ALAKAVUKLAR Ozan o.n.alakavuklar@uu.nl European Trade Union Institute (Brussels) and School of Management, Massey University (Auckland) School of Governance, Utrecht University 02 03 2023 162 1 10.1111/ilr.v162.1 147 170 © The authors 2022 Journal compilation © International Labour Organization 2023

Freedom of association can include the right of labour unions to take collective action in the interest of their members. In this regard, it is presumed that unions increase worker freedom. However, there is little literature on how worker freedom as self‐actualization is linked to union collective action involving coalition‐building with civil society. This article uses the notions of freedom according to Berlin (1969) and MacCallum (1967) to assess the meaning of such coalition‐building for worker freedom. It then employs a radical democratic perspective (Laclau and Mouffe 2001) of union engagement with the Just Transition in New Zealand to explore how unions enhance worker freedom.

 Freedom collective action trade unionism social movement worker rights New Zealand

 

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