Adversaries of Trade Unionism. An Analysis of the Anti-Union Discourse in the Spanish Newspaper La Razón

Abstract

Current research on public opinion shows a high level of discredit of trade unions in Spain. This article focuses on one of the expressions of this discredit: the discourse on trade unionism by mass media. To this purpose, the anti-union discourse by the conservative newspaper La Razón during the first semester of 2012 is analysed. Firstly, 868 headlines of news relating to trade unions in this newspaper are explored and classified into neutral, negative or positive content. Secondly, the structure and elements of the anti-union discourse in a selection of news reports is analysed. The results reinforce the thesis that trade unions are subject to an intensive disparaging campaign which is seriously damaging their public image and their social power.