The Future of Trade Unions (Cont'd.)

European Straits #28

Dear all,

The great Albert Hirschman told us about what it takes to move the needle: voice AND exit. Voice is about making your voice heard: participating in a townhall meeting, demonstrating on the streets, or when you demand to see the shop's manager. Exit is about taking refuge in the other option: you vote for the other candidate, or go to that other shop across the street, where prices are cheaper, inventory is larger, and employees are nicer.

Historically, trade unions have been concerned mostly with supporting workers so that their voice is heard by employers. This was consistent with what jobs were all about in the 20th century: a continuous career spanning over years, if not decades. Because workers had the same employer for years, voice was their preferred option, with quitting their job the solution of last resort. But now jobs have radically changed. We switch jobs more often. We're even enjoying it. And as pointed out in 2014 by Adam Davidson, in our current “Failure Age”,…