ILPC 2026

This paper analyses the role of community organisations in the potential collective mobilisation of migrant workers. We argue that it is important to understand key differences among community organisations. To this end, we put forward an original two-by-two typology of community organisations (figure 1). We then present ethnographic case evidence of two community organisations which occupy different quadrants of this typology. The cases are Midwest European Communities Association in Somerset and Justice for Domestic Workers in London. We chart the key differing opportunities and challenges for the collective mobilisation of migrant workers in each case. We argue that the potential contribution of community organisations to collective mobilisation of migrant workers is likely to be stronger where community organisations are rooted in internal relationships and have a focus upon the status of their members as workers. Conversely, it is likely to be weaker where community organisations focus upon external legitimacy and have only a weak focus upon the status of their members as workers. 

 Figure 1: A typology of community organisations with regard to their potential to contribute to the collective mobilisation of migrant workers