An examination of the role of the Latin American State in the day-to-day practice of collective bargaining and the conflicts surrounding it. It also provides a study of the social and political role of labour and the impact of today's economic crisis on existing patterns of organization.

Study of labour relations trends in Latin America - examines the role of trade unions, employers organizations and labour administrations, trade unionism, collective bargaining, workers participation, personnel management, tripartite relations, the nature of labour disputes, arbitration and conciliation mechanisms, (ILO mentioned), labour court, duration and number of strikes, etc. References and statistical tables.

Interrelationship between social change and labour relations in Latin America. Chapters by different authors. Annotated bibliography pp. 149-169.

This book reflects the development of Latin American labour history across broad geographical, chronological and thematic perspectives, which seek to review and revisit key concepts at different levels. The contributions are closely linked to the most recent trends in Global Labour History and in turn, they enrich those trends. Here, authors from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Spain take a historical and sociological perspective and analyse a series of problems relating to labour relations. The chapters weave together different periods of Latin American colonial and republican history from the vice-royalties of New Spain (now Mexico) and Peru, the Royal Audiencia de Charcas (now Bolivia), Argentina and Uruguay (former vice-royalty of Río de La Plata) and Chile (former Capitanía General).

The position of waged labour and trade unions in Latin America has been affected by three major trends since 1980, namely liberalization of the market, democratization of the state, and informalization of poverty. the late eighties also witnessed the effects of crisis and adjustment which have posed a set of dilemmas for the trade union movement. These dilemmas have their origins in the profound changes in the composition of the labour force. In Colombia and Peru the first experiments in uneasy integrations of the unions of informal workers have only started recently, including the "madres comunitarias" in Bogota and Medellin, and the street sellers in Lima. the present study, based on a policy evaluation of the development efforts of FNV, ICFTV, and ORIT, focuses on the possibilities of new policy issues, on strategic alliances with new actors in Latin America's economy and society, and on the definition of the position of organized labour. Should it continue to defend the vested interests of a seemingly shrinking labour aristocracy, or should it act as the spokesman of the masses of the poor, the underprivileged and the marginalized?

Unity is Strength describes the hardships and violence suffered by Latin American workers and exposes the economic and political system which exploits and oppresses them. It also looks at the nature of trade unions and workers' struggles in Latin America and considers the need for effective solidarity by British and European trade unionists.