ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the role of class struggle in development, focusing on Latin America. It surveys how trade unions have been conceptualised by scholars of different ideological perspectives, explaining why study of the labour movement fell out of favour during the neoliberal era of ‘globalisation’. Despite appearances that the labour movement has been eclipsed by so-called new social movements, the chapter argues that the lines between ‘old’ and ‘new’ social movements are blurry at best. The chapter also introduces readers to classic case studies that explore issues related to worker identity and militancy, the role of the labour movement in struggles for democratisation, and the role of women in trade unions.
