Sociology: 50 years after the Grunwick strike - The migrant women who fought back

The Grunwick strike (1976–1978) was a landmark two-year industrial dispute sparked by South Asian women protesting poor working conditions and mistreatment at a photographic processing laboratory in North London. This event ultimately transformed the British trade union movement's recognition of women and minority workers.

During the session, you will cover the details of the Grunwick strike and investigate why the event has been missing from, or misrepresented in, standard accounts of sociology of work and contemporary British labour history. You will discuss why the strike was a key moment in British labour history and how it impacts our current understanding of intersectionality in relation to inequalities and resistance at work. By the end of the session, you will have explored how the Grunwick strike fits within the wider context of resistance to racism and labour exploitation in the UK, at a time when migration and migrants are (once again?) coming to be framed as a threat to ‘British’ workers.

This session also includes a Q&A with our academic staff and current students. 

If you would like to book a place to attend this session, please click the 'Visit Website' button to be taken to our online booking form.

Recommended pre-session reading:

• https://thesociologicalreview.org/projects/connected-sociologies/curriculum/british-citizenship-race-and-rights/grunwick-gate-gourmet/
• https://www.striking-women.org/

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