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Worker narratives of blame and responsibility during the 2018 crisis: the case of the Uljanik Shipyard, Croatia
[working paper]
Corporate Editor
Leibniz-Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (IOS)
Abstract This article describes worker narratives of discontent in relation to a series of crises that occurred at the Uljanik shipyard over the course of 2018. It draws on five months of fieldwork conducted in the period between two worker protests at the shipyard surrounding the late payment of wages, the ... view more
This article describes worker narratives of discontent in relation to a series of crises that occurred at the Uljanik shipyard over the course of 2018. It draws on five months of fieldwork conducted in the period between two worker protests at the shipyard surrounding the late payment of wages, the second of which transformed into a large-scale strike. Emphasis is placed on the oft-repeated trope of "systematic" or "all-encompassing destruction" (sustavno uništavanje). This trope was often used to describe the perceived non-transparent, destructive activities of agents positioned at the top of a hierarchy (the firm management, the local authorities, the national government), acting with the hidden agenda of deliberately running the shipyard into the ground for their own personal gain. The article begins with a vignette highlighting several of the key actors and narratives present. The context of worker organizing and of the shipyard crisis are then elucidated. Following this, workers’ self-organizing during the crisis is examined. The affective landscape during this liminal period is described, with a focus on fear, anxiety, blame, rumours and a (sometimes reasonable) suspicion or paranoia. The trope of "systematic destruction" is discussed in relation to the affective landscape. It is then placed in the context of the importance of personalized relations in the regional political economy, and the implications of this political economy on patterns of blame and responsibility are analysed. Finally, the history of the trope of systematic destruction is discussed and the political power inherent in its ambiguities are explored.... view less
Keywords
Croatia; shipbuilding; working conditions; employee organization; protest; strike; management; clientelism; de-industrialization; post-socialist country
Classification
Social History, Historical Social Research
Sociology of Work, Industrial Sociology, Industrial Relations
Free Keywords
systematic destruction; Uljanik; shipyards; blame; responsibility
Document language
English
Publication Year
2018
City
Regensburg
Page/Pages
24 p.
Series
IOS Mitteilungen, 67
ISSN
2363-4898
Status
Published Version; reviewed