'All the groceries, but not a fig for young workers', read a banner during the occupation of Ahold's headquarters in 1981. 'For a long time, young workers were not taken seriously, but they managed to put themselves on the map', says historian Rosa Kösters.
Historian Rosa Kösters researched how employees at big companies like Ahold (Albert Heijn) and Unilever (Unox) found a voice. She was awarded a PhD at the end of last month for her dissertation, How to Self-Organise?, in which she examined the history of employee self-organisation between 1960 and 2020.
'Behind our everyday groceries lies a long history of changing labour relations.'
Fascination with stories from the shop floor
Kösters, who works at the International Institute for Social History (IISH), has always been fascinated by stories from the shop floor. 'I got my first Saturday job at the age of 15, in V&D's baby department and later worked as a cleaner in a retirement community, at a jeweller's and in hospitality. I realised I like talking to colleagues about work and how things are organised. I never thought I'd end up writing my dissertation on the subject', Kösters laughs.
In her research, Kösters deliberately chose to tell the history from the perspective of employees, rather than from that of executives in the boardroom or trade union leaders. While much research has focused on topics such as labour market flexibilisation, globalisation and labour migration, far less attention has been paid to experiences on the shop floor.
'Behind our everyday groceries is a long history of changing labour relations. When you look at the shop floor, you see that Albert Heijn was an early adopter of migrant labour in its distribution centres and in the wide-scale flexibilisation of the Dutch labour market.'
A group without a voice
During her research, Kösters found that workers' stories were often difficult to find. She delved into the archives of newspapers, unions and other activist groups, read annual reports from Ahold and Unilever and looked through internal staff magazines. She also joined a closed Facebook group for Unox employees, which is how she found out all about a strike at the company in 2017.
Kösters discovered that self-organisation enabled employees to make their voices heard. 'Young people were not taken seriously within the established unions. But they found ways to speak up. In the 1970s and 1980s, they signed petitions, held protests and demonstrations, and in 1981 they occupied Albert Heijn's headquarters. By organising these initiatives themselves, they put themselves on the map.'
The same applies to initiatives organised by migrant workers at Albert Heijn's distribution centre and in the factories of soup and sausage producer Unox.
'Employees need to be much more involved in day-to-day operations, rather than being managed from above. Unions will only remain relevant if they create space and develop strategies for bottom-up initiatives.'
Applying insights to the present
The insights from her PhD research can be applied to the present. Unions in particular can learn from them, says Kösters. 'Unions are under pressure, and there's a great deal of discussion about their future. My research shows how important self-organisation is, also within unions. Employees need to be much more involved in day-to-day operations, rather than being managed from above. Unions will only remain relevant if they create space and develop strategies for bottom-up initiatives.'
In the media
Trouw and NRC have covered Kösters' PhD research, and she was also interviewed in OVT on Radio1.
