Trade Union Responses to White Collar Off-Shoring‪.‬

Introduction The trade union movement has for a number of years been seeking ways to reposition itself, in order to attract and retain members and to remain relevant, useful and powerful (Gordon and Turner 2000; Fairbrother and Yates 2003). Many challenges have resulted from local factors including privatisation of formerly highly organised public sector workplaces; a shift of jobs from the traditionally unionised 'blue collar' sectors such as transport and manufacturing to the new 'white collar' service industries; and changing regulation of labour markets and industrial relations systems (Fairbrother and Yates 2003). These challenges have been exacerbated during the recent period of intense globalisation.