Trade unions in neoliberal times: discourse variations on emerging identities

This paper focuses on how trade unions are redefining their organizational identity in response to
the neoliberal changes that have affected the labour market, mainly as a result of the Global Financial
Crisis of 2008. Such changes brought about a profound crisis of representation among workers in vari-
ous sectors. Trade unions have had to redesign their identities to meet new demands from workers.
Based on 30 interviews with unionists from one of Italy’s major unions, the study identifies four dis-
cursive variations and as many potential evolutions in the identity of trade unions. The respective posi-
tionings generated by these four discourses for the union and its members are examined. The study also
highlights certain contradictions in these discursive variations, which may either encourage a redefini-
tion of the union’s strategic objectives or, on the contrary, act as regulating mechanism that hampers
change.