Conference "Trade Unions, the Far Right, and the Battle for the Working Class. Perspectives from Europe and North America since 1945"

Event, deadline 16 September 2026

The growing appeal of far-right parties and right-wing populist movements especially within the working classes has become a subject of intense debate for both scholars and trade unions alike. Despite the widespread interest in this topic, there are surprisingly few analyses of the long-term trends and historical roots fueling the present-day rise of the far right that take into account the dynamics of the workplace as well as the role of trade unions.

This international conference seeks to address this gap by bringing the historical and contemporary relationships between organized labor and the far right in Europe and North America since 1945 into the spotlight. It aims to foster a nuanced and comparative dialogue on how organized labor has responded to far-right ideologies, parties, and movements from both an institutional and grass-roots perspective in the postwar era.

Conference languages: German and English; with translation.

Please additionally register for the panel discussion on October 28 here by 23 September 2026:

www.fes.de/en/events/detail/285860

The conference is organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung and the IG Metall.

Programme

Date

  • Wednesday, 28 October 2026 bis Friday, 30 October 2026
    12:30 (first day) to 13:15 (last day)

Registration open until to Wednesday, 16 September 2026

Attendance fee

  • None

Place

  • Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Berlin, Haus 1
    Hiroshimastraße 17
    10785 Berlin

Contact

Attached document(s)
Posted