Labor Unions and Democratic Unrest in North Africa

Ashley Anderson is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research and teaching interests are in comparative politics, with a focus on authoritarian regimes, Middle Eastern political development, and contentious politics. Anderson has previously published research with Cambridge University Press, and in journals such as Political Research Quarterly, Social Science and Medicine, and POMEPS Studies.

• 1. Introduction; 2. Labor protest in North Africa: expectations and realities; 3. Labor control regimes and initial conditions: comparing Morocco and Tunisia; 4. Workers in an era of change: union responses to early neoliberal reforms; 5. Workers in an age of adjustment: union reactions to structural adjustment programs; 6. Workers in the shadow of reform: labor protest in the autumn of autocracy; 7. Workers after the 'spring': labor mobilization in an era of uncertainty; 8. Conclusion: implications for North Africa and beyond; Index.

'Ashley Anderson reveals how the exclusion of organized labor from ruling coalitions can backfire and spark political transformation. Analyzing decades of protests from the MENA region, this exemplar of political economy showcases the potential of workers to challenge authoritarian practices, not only in developing countries but also the Global North.' Jason Brownlee, The University of Texas at Austin