Public Defence: Jesper Prytz
Welcome to participate when Jesper Prytz, doctoral student in Sociology, defends his thesis entitled ‘Working Class Power: The Decline and Reconfiguration of Trade Union Power Resources in the 21st Century’.
About the Thesis
In recent decades, neoliberal reforms to institutions and the liberalisation of labour markets have redefined the landscape of work, transforming stable, long-term employment into a patchwork of insecure and flexible jobs. This shift has eroded the traditional power that organised labour once held, as the rise of non-standard employment and weakened labour protections challenge the collective associations of a broadly defined working class and their ability to secure fair wages and conditions.
This thesis examines how these developments have affected the power resources of labour – particularly in the form of trade unions – and how these resources are formed, leveraged, and interact in the face of market-driven reforms. Applying a multidimensional framework that includes structural, institutional, associational, and ideational power, this thesis explores how workers respond to a context where precarious work conditions and individualistic values are increasingly common. By investigating union membership dynamics, collective representation, and the broader role of organised labour in shaping wage equity, the thesis raises pressing questions about the relevance and resilience of collective power of the working class of wage earners. Can unions adapt and advocate effectively, or will they be relegated to the periphery in a shifting social and economic landscape? This work examines the evolving role of labour organisations in organising workers and countering inequalities in the 21st century.