Diverging interests between employers and employees let expect the emergence of conflicts in the workplace. Because of the asymmetry in the balance of power to the disadvantage of the workers they are inclined to act collectively to make their interests count. However, collective action of workers has been in decline to varying degrees in different countries for decades. Especially migrant workers often restrict themselves to individual strategies and are hesitant to form coalitions with their colleagues. This raises the question under which conditions migrant workers indeed opt for collective action. Given the growing proportion of migrant workers in the European workforces, this question is not only interesting for social science. It also becomes more and more important for politicians, trade unions and social institutions aiming for the representation of interests of the workers.

The project The formation of worker collectivism among migrant workers in Denmark, Germany and the UK aims to explain when and how migrant workers define their interests collectively. The comparative design allows for controlling the influence of different systems of industrial relations and labor markets on the collective action of migrant workers. Germany can be regarded as being situated between Denmark, where collective agreements are still covering a huge majority of workers, and the United Kingdom, where collective agreements only cover a decreasing minority of workers. Germany is characterized by a dual system of industrial relations offering extensive legal possibilities for the participation of workers in the decision making in the companies. However, it depends on the capability of the employees and trade unions to organize collectively to realize that potential.

As part of the research project, I will conduct the field work in Germany. Thereby, I will be cooperating with the Institute for Work, Skills and Training (IAQ) at the University of Duisburg-Essen. It is known for its research on working conditions and collective action of employees. In my research I will study the perspective of migrant workers on various strategies to improve their working conditions as well as their reasons to participate in collective action. Therefore, I will combine qualitative interviews with migrant workers using vignettes, ethnographic methods like participating observation and interviews with experts like representatives of trade unions or business associations.

The focus of the research will be on migrant workers from member states of the EU, that have recently migrated to Germany. The selection of the interviewees is twofold. First of all, the research is focused on agriculture and delivery services. At the same time, I will study migrant workers in collective action in various sectors. This allows not only to highlight the perception of collectivism, but also to understand the actual reasons to engage in collective action.