This study examines the rise of new organisational forms on the periphery of conventional trade unions that promote greater flexibility and innovation in collective labour action within Europe’s evolving labour landscape. These emerging organisations focus on informal sectors, such as the platform economy, precarious self-employment, and irregular migrant work, which conventional unions struggle to address effectively. Our research is grounded in Madrid, although it draws on interviews conducted with organizations from other territories, and makes use of in-depth surveys and ethnographic fieldwork conducted from 2018 to 2024. We hypothesise that the increasing fragmentation and informalisation of labour markets present unique opportunities for organising workers’ rights in ways that traditional union structures cannot accommodate. This study highlights how strategies and repertoires from social movements, notably the 15 M Protest Cycle, shape these new forms of labour activism. Our findings reveal that these alternative organisations use innovative tactics, which intersect and sometimes collaborate with traditional unions. Specifically, we argue that these organisations develop a sectoralised approach to collective action, adapting their strategies to the particular challenges of each labour niche. This sectoralisation allows for greater effectiveness in mobilising and shaping public debates, reinforcing the role of these organisations as actors in labour struggles.

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This project has received funding from the HORIZON-MSCA-2023-SE-01-01 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101183165

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