Islands of Trust in a Sea of Locational Competition

Towards Transnational Solidarity in Corporation-based Workers Networks

Abstract

How can workers develop solidarity across national borders, when in fact they are, at least potentially, in locational competition with each other? One possible answer is the establishment of transnational trust among worker representatives. This article delves into this argument, specifically examining the International Network Initiative (Internationale Netzwerkinitative, NWI) implemented by IG Metall. Drawing upon participatory research conducted from 2016 to 2023 and focusing on the NWI-project of Lear, a tier-1 automotive supplier, I argue that charting islands of transnational trust in the sea of locational competition is ambitious – but nonetheless possible.