Radical Unionism

Ralph Darlington is Professor of Employment Relations at the University of Salford. His research is concerned with the dynamics of trade union organisation, activity and consciousness in Britain and internationally within both contemporary and historical settings. He is author of The Dynamics of Workplace Unionism), and The Political Trajectory of J.T. Murphy; co-author of Glorious Summer: Class Struggle in Britain; and editor of What’s the Point of Industrial Relations?: In Defence of Critical Social Science.

"[Radical Unionism] is a rich text and source of information. It deserves to and no doubt will become a standard point of reference for anyone wishing to understand the nature of syndicalism in the period under question."— Martin Upchurch, Journal of Industrial Relations "This is a very valuable, well thought out and useful volume. . . . Darlington's work will remain a touchstone for scholarly debate on syndicalism for years to come."—European History Quarterly"Darlington’s book impressively pulls together the diverse literature on syndicalism. But more importantly, by looking at syndicalist politics thematically and studying their often stormy relationship with the Communists after the Russian Revolution, he has done a service to all those grappling today with how to engage with the politics of trade unions and political trade unionism."—Simon Basketer, International Socialism"All in all, Darlington has delivered an informative representation of syndicalism that highlights its essential features and lays out the debates and experiences that defined it in a clearly constructed synthesis."—International Journal of Social History"Overall, then, it represents an ambitious and insightful attempt to synthesize a substantial volume of material."—Labor History Review "Informed, informative, enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Radical Unionism: The Rise and Fall of Revolutionary Syndicalism" is an extraordinary work of seminal scholarship and highly recommended for academic library collections."—The Midwest Book review

• AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations and AcronymsIntroduction Part One: Dynamics of the Syndicalist MovementChapter One Philosophy and Practice Chapter Two Origins and Growth Chapter Three Composition and Structure Chapter Four Internal Divisions Chapter Five Influence and DemisePart Two: The Transition to Communism Prologue Chapter Six Moscow’s EmbraceChapter Seven Trade UnionismChapter Eight Union BureaucracyChapter Nine Economics and Politics Chapter Ten State and RevolutionChapter Eleven Leadership and the Party Chapter Twelve Syndicalist-Communist FusionBibliography Index