Commoning Labour and Democracy at Work: When Workers Take Over
Edited by Dario Azzellini and Marcelo Vieta, Routledge, August 2025, 328pp. $61.8. ISBN:9780367442224
British Journal of Industrial Relations , 2026; 0:1–2 , ChuanZhi Ye

Under the current wave of globalized capitalism, the trans- formation and reconstruction of labour relations have become an undeniable social issue. The book ‘ Commoning Labour and Democracy at Work: When Workers Take Over ’, co-authored by Dario Azzellini and Marcelo Vieta, delves into the importance and challenges of worker recuperated enterprises (WREs) as an alternative economic model, providing valuable insights into new trends in labour relations. This book argues that WRE heralds a new form of work based on equality and sustain- ability. The book argues that WRE contributes to building a more direct and democratic community economy within the framework of self-sovereignty, labour commons, and prophetic ethical and political practices. Drawing on contemporary case studies from multiple countries in the North and South, as well as new theories of worker self-management, this book provides a critical development, political economy and class struggle Marxist perspective on the re-emergence of labour issues in anti-systemic social movements, while theorizing the transformative nature of workers, work organizations and communities.

This book approaches from the perspective of class struggle and constructs a comprehensive theoretical framework on workers’ self-management of enterprises. Azzellini and Vieta not only analysed the historical background, current development status and global distribution of WREs, but also delved into the political economy principles behind them. They pointed out that WREs are not only a rebellion against capitalist production relations, but also a direct challenge to labour alienation, exploitation and inequality. By introducing the concept of ‘Labour Commons’, the authors further reveal the potential of WREs in reconstructing labour relations and promoting economic democratization.

The in-depth analysis of ‘Autogestión’ in the book is particularly noteworthy. Self-management is not only a form of produc- tion organization, but also a profound political practice that challenges the fundamental opposition between employers and employees under capitalism, and proposes the possibility of work- ers collectively owning and managing the means of production. This theoretical innovation not only enriches the theoretical system of labour relations, but also provides strong theoretical support for the workers’ movement in practice.

Another highlight of this book is its rich empirical research. The authors conducted in-depth research on WREs in multiple countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Italy and France, showcasing the diversity and complexity of these enterprises in different political, economic and cultural contexts. Each case vividly depicts how workers occupy and self-manage businesses on the brink of bankruptcy through collective action, as well as their resilience and wisdom in the face of market pressure, legal challenges and social biases.

Especially in Argentina, the development of WREs has been particularly remarkable. The book provides a detailed description of how workers successfully transformed multiple bankrupt enterprises into self-managed cooperatives through strategies of ‘occupation, resistance, and production’. These cases not only demonstrate the economic feasibility of WREs, but more importantly, they reveal the enormous power of collective action by workers in changing labour relations and promoting social justice.

Although WREs have achieved significant success in multiple countries, this book does not shy away from the challenges and difficulties they face. The authors point out that WREs often face multiple challenges in the process of integrating into the capitalist market system, such as market competition, funding shortages, legal barriers and low social recognition. Especially in their interaction with capitalist enterprises and state institutions, WREs often find themselves in a disadvantaged position, and their self-management concepts and practices are susceptible to erosion and distortion.

However, the authors did not deny the value and prospects of WREs as a result. On the contrary, they believe that WREs are not only an effective strategy to address the crisis of capitalism, but also an important way to promote the democratization of labour relations and economic justice. By strengthening solidarity and cooperation among workers, building supportive social networks, promoting policy changes and ensuring legal protection, WREs are expected to play a more important role in the future.

Commoning Labour and Democracy at Work: When Workers Take Over is not only an academic work about WREs, but also a profound reflection and outlook on future labour relations. It reminds us that labour relations are not only an economic issue, but also an important political and social issue. Against the backdrop of deepening globalization of capitalism, how to reconstruct labour relations, promote economic democratization and safeguard workers’ rights has become an urgent issue to be addressed.

This book provides us with a possible solution through rich theoretical analysis and empirical research, which is to achieve democratization of labour relations and economic justice through worker self-management of enterprises. This plan not only has theoretical innovation and foresight, but also demonstrates strong vitality and potential in practice. Commoning Labour and Democ- racy at Work: When Workers Take Over is a book with profound theoretical significance and practical value. It not only provides us with a comprehensive perspective and in-depth analysis to understand WREs but also provides valuable insights for us to consider the future development direction of labour relations. In today’s increasingly globalized capitalism, this work undoubtedly has important reference value and guiding significance. For scholars, policy makers and practitioners who focus on labour relations, economic democratization and social justice, this book is undoubtedly a rare must read. 2