Why workers’ unions and solidarity matter more than ever today

The question surrounding the existence of workers’ organisations in these trying times, full of challenges and crises, has gone beyond the scope of ideologies. In this age, dominated by wage stagnation, challenging working conditions, inflation, and a widening economic gap, workers’ unions are attacked, demonised, and systematically weakened by a sophisticated network of capitalism.

In the face of such an existential crisis, the working class is confronted with the enormous task of staying united, organised, and maintaining mutual solidarity with one another, cutting across all social differences.

To understand the emotion and sentiment behind the call for a united working class, we can revisit the past and recall what Karl Marx wrote: “The history of human civilisation hitherto is the history of class struggle.”

He was pointing towards an anomaly and a divide that has always existed in society. There has always been a section that owned surplus wealth and immense resources, while another has faced deprivation. In our times, steam engines may have been replaced by modern, state-of-the-art artificial intelligence avenues, but the reality of capital and labour remains much the same as it was centuries ago.

Karl Marx and his fellow comrade Friedrich Engels made a clarion call for unity among the working class across the globe in one of their most significant literary works, The Communist Manifesto. Both philosophers deeply understood the fragmentation of the proletariat. Their call was therefore a recognition of the risks and vulnerabilities carried by a divided working class. It was also an acknowledgement of the significance of unity among workers’ unions globally.

A worker is weak; a union of workers is powerful

Surplus capital multiplies and flourishes through divisions. In a liberalised market, employers know that workers individually are easier to control. Adding to the irony, the workforce, like every other section of society, is divided by region, religion, language, ethnicity, traditions and culture. Workers are further categorised into contractual, temporary, permanent and gig workers, among others. All these differences become potent weapons in the hands of an exploitative capitalist mechanism that operates bereft of any just, ethical or moral code to weaken the interests of the proletariat.

An individual worker can be ignored, laid off or denied a fair settlement, but the collective effort of hundreds of workers cannot be dismissed so easily. One of the primary roles of a trade union is to transform the private suffering of an individual into a unified public struggle. It amplifies the muted voices of the proletariat and compels powerful employers to acknowledge their grievances, making exploitation visible.

The interests of the working class are significantly strengthened under the aegis of a union. Examples include unpaid overtime in factories, unsafe and inhumane conditions faced by mine workers, cases of sexual harassment in offices, and various other forms of professional exploitation. In each of these cases, solidarity among workers makes them a formidable force that cannot simply be brushed aside.

The modern workplace; unknown waters

Modernity was expected to heal the centuries-old wounds of the proletariat through scientific and technological innovation. Instead, it has given rise to greater uncertainty and anxiety. The emergence of platform capitalism has transformed vast populations into “free contractors” who lack social securities such as healthcare, pensions and job security. Gig workers, including delivery agents, freelancers and even journalists, are increasingly falling victim to a system governed by algorithms that directly affect their livelihoods.

Vladimir Lenin, while emphasising the importance of workers’ unions, once said: “The strength of the working class lies in organisation.” As labour becomes increasingly fragmented, organisation becomes both more difficult and more necessary. Without strong and united unions, the platform workforce is reduced to little more than a statistic. Through unions, however, these uncharted waters of modern capitalism are being tested and challenged.

Unions are not just for securing wages

A major misconception surrounding labour unions is that they exist solely to negotiate wages. In reality, they also fight for dignity alongside fair pay. Over the past several decades, unions have demanded safer working conditions, maternity protections, pensions, grievance mechanisms and safeguards against arbitrary treatment by employers.

As enlightened and aware proletarians, workers must understand that exploitation and subjugation at the hands of powerful private capitalists will not disappear through hope alone. Strong institutions and collective efforts are essential to achieving justice. Antonio Gramsci aptly wrote: “The challenge of modernity is to live without illusions and without becoming disillusioned.”

If capital is organised, why not labour?

Modern corporations have evolved into powerful and robust structures supported by sophisticated networks that help consolidate their strength. Chambers of commerce, investor networks, public relations machinery, lobbyists, legal teams and political influence all work tirelessly to preserve and expand the power of capital. This system does not operate individually or in isolation; it acts collectively in pursuit of its interests.

This raises an urgent question for the working class: if capital is organised in its pursuit of exploitation, why should workers not organise themselves in response to defend against it?

Eugene V. Debs profoundly captured the spirit of solidarity when he said: “While there is a lower class, I am in it… while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” If one worker goes hungry, the entire proletariat should feel the humiliation of that hunger. A wound to one is a wound to all. If a factory worker loses all protections today, office workers may tomorrow lose their contractual guarantees. If gig workers are denied social security today, permanent employees may themselves be reduced to ad hoc labour tomorrow. Capitalism often tests exploitation where there is little resistance and where the working class remains fragmented or unaware. This makes solidarity across all sections of labour both urgent and necessary.

Politics and division

One of the oldest tactics employed by ruling elites and capitalists is to divide workers and pit them against one another. This is often achieved by exploiting social differences. As a result, critical issues such as wealth concentration, labour exploitation, privatisation, corruption and corporate profiteering escape proper scrutiny.

The situation remains alarming globally. Capitalists across the world are increasingly uniting and setting aside their differences, while workers are encouraged to despise one another. A labourer’s hunger has no regional affiliation, a mason’s suffering has no religion, and an exhausted delivery worker carries no communal identity in the eyes of capitalism. The first step towards solidarity among workers is recognising each other as comrades rather than competitors.

Weak unions, strong inequality

Weak and ineffective unions have significantly contributed to growing inequality in society. Over the years, unions and associations have weakened, membership has declined, worker protections have diminished, housing costs have soared, and job insecurity has become widespread. None of this has occurred entirely organically, but rather through a carefully designed blueprint of capitalist exploitation.

Today, unionisation is often demonised and labelled “radical”, and many people have unfortunately accepted this mischaracterisation. Part of this stems from the desensitisation of society and the normalisation of exploitation. Demanding fair wages or humane working conditions does not constitute a revolution. Seeking healthcare is not a conspiracy against employers. Yet in many industries, even these basic demands require organised and united struggles.

Unions create human consciousness, not just economic leverage

Unions do more than negotiate workers’ interests; they also foster class consciousness. Workers involved in unions gradually come to understand that their struggles are not personal failures but systemic realities. Ali Shariati wrote: “The enlightened soul is one who is conscious of his human condition and social responsibility.” Such consciousness transforms workers from isolated individuals into agents of historical change.

A union meeting can become a university of democracy, a strike can evolve into political education, and a picket line can grow into a community of its own. As workers collectively share power within unions, they also develop a deeper sense of belonging with one another.

The future and organised labour

Labour is likely to undergo monumental changes in the coming years due to artificial intelligence, automation, climate crises, inflation, increasing privatisation and geopolitical instability, among other factors. Millions of jobs may disappear, new industries may emerge, and old protections may vanish entirely.

It will become increasingly difficult for workers to survive these transformations alone. Organised labour offers them a fair chance to ensure that technological advancement serves humanity rather than profit alone. Only organised labour can prevent workers from competing over scraps while capitalists accumulate enormous surplus wealth.

In today’s world, workers must recognise and understand their own worth. No factory was built by an owner alone, no corporation created wealth in isolation, and no society can function without labour. The hands that built this world should also help shape it. That power is conferred upon workers through strong unions, collective consciousness and solidarity with one another.

(Sheikh Imran is a freelance columnist based in Kishtwar)