Abstract

Drawing on 12 case studies across 10 countries of how trade unions and collective bargaining institutions supported front-line workers in healthcare, social care and food retail, this article finds that pre-existing or new collective bargaining or social dialogue forums provided important avenues for employee voice on pandemic management. Trade unions also supported marginalized front-line workers through multiple tactics, though most initiatives predated the pandemic and often depended upon gaining active state support, which was not always possible. Trade unions were thus pursuing sword-of-justice objectives, though they were sometimes less open to revaluing front-line work already covered by collectively negotiated grading structures. © The author(s) 2025.