Vulnerable Workers in Action: Self-Organization and Unionism in the Work Fragmentation

In the last two decades, fragmentation, precariousness, casualization, flexibility, insecurity, individualization of the working life have become major problems for an increasing number of workers (Castel, Castells, Gallino, Sennett, Standing). In Italy, and in a large part of Europe, there is an increase in the use of temporary contracts, employment agencies, false self-employment, “poor workers” and “mini jobs”, as well as there is an increase in unemployment and dismissals due to the frequent downsizing and outsourcing processes. As result of these trends, a growing number of individuals is more and more "vulnerable", while trade unions have many difficulties to represent a large part of workers in this changing world of work. Nevertheless, inside and outside the institutional trade union organizations, individuals try to create collective actions with the aim to affirm their workers’ rights and to improve their quality of work and life.

This paper analyzes the collective actions of “vulnerable” workers, considering individuals with a temporary job, without a job, or at risk to lose their job. We analyze the actions promoted by the unions as well as by the workers’ “self-organized networks”, with a focus on the Italian context and an analysis of the European perspective (20 interviews in Italy and 10 interviews at European level). Objectives of this paper are: a) understanding the meaning of action (Touraine) of the individuals involved in these social movements; b) understanding the relationships between “institutional” trade unions and “self-organized networks”; c) understanding the impact of these collective actions on the public sphere, especially considering the relationship between workers’ movements and democracy in the present age.