The Socio-Economic Practices of Trade Unions in the Working-Class Economy. Theoretical-Methodological Contributions from a Case Study

This article discusses the socio-economic practices of trade unions, defined as the practices aimed to contribute to satisfying the human development needs of workers. The objective is to highlight and analyze how and to what extent the socio-economic practices of trade unions, considered as organizers of workers for themselves, have contributed to the working-class economy. In Argentina, the main socio-economic practices of trade unions are collective bargaining and social action, which have had different levels of complexity, scope and effects on workers' needs, depending on the dynamics of the power relations between labour and capital. Through the case study of the trade union Luz y Fuerza Capital Federal in two stages, one of expansion (1958-1975) and the other of crisis (1976-2002), this article makes theoretical-methodological contributions, which show the economic and political value of these practices for the workers' struggle and for the study of trade unions.