Abstract
Building workers in Britain have often been portrayed as individualistic and independent – a fragmented and atomised sector of workers who are largely uninterested or incapable of being involved in a common struggle to improve conditions generally. However, the oral histories of a group of workers employed in the building industry in Stevenage during the post-war decades suggest a very different reality. For these workers, collectivism, solidarity, sacrifice, and struggle were the key themes of their experience on construction sites during the 1950s–1970s period. A strong commitment to trade unionism was central to this, and was also a key resource through which they constructed their self-identities.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 211-236 |
Journal | Labour History Review |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 9 Dec 2016 |