1. Economic crisis, racism and working lives
The role of trade unions and workers' organisation in mobilising against workplace racism: Lessons for today
ESRC seminar series on racism and resistance:
Economic crisis, racism and working lives
8TH January, University of Manchester
Ian Manborde
Ruskin College, Oxford

2. Overview of Presentation
What can be learnt from an analysis of the experience of black workers’ struggles?
How might this analysis contribute to trade union revitalisation and renewal (and from an education perspective)?
What then are these lessons?
How do we move forward?

3. Lesson 1: Sites of collective power Courtauld dispute, Preston 1965
Dispute: increased productivity, loss of pay – union collusion which was instrumental in the loss of the dispute.
First major UK ‘immigrant dispute’.
The role of the IWA and RAAS is critically important in providing a means to aid solidarity between Asian and African Caribbean workers.
Just as importantly to facilitate a conscious of capacity to resist the employer and trade union.

4. Lesson 2: “Poor work” in the new workplace Burnsall dispute, Smethwick, 1992
Dispute centred on poor working conditions and low pay and lack of union recognition.
Appreciating geographies of labour:
although a small employer, part of a longer supply chain in motor manufacturing.
assessing the effectiveness of solidarity action in broader civil society.

5. Lesson 3: Whole worker organising Imperial Typewriters, Leicester, 1974
Abuse of migrant labour by an MNC to increase productivity.
Whilst union officials opposed the strike, workers gained significant solidarity across the workplace and local community:
Articulating common experiences of racism.
Linking this to poor housing, youth unemployment etc.

6. (Some) Conclusions
Trade union education: Placing the workplace and trade union in a wider civil society and community context. Trade union organising strategy: Putting the whole worker in practice e.g. around faith Trade union structure and organisation: Pursuing strategies based on social movement unionism

7. My Notes
Analysis of the experience of black workers’ struggles can’t be analysed without understanding (a) the role of kinship, faith and community.
The lessons from each dispute are not distinct, but overlapping and mutually reinforcing of centrally important lessons for trade union renewal.