Conversion: a strategy for ecosocial production politics

This article debates the potential of productivist ecosocial conversion strategies as solutions to the environmental crisis. We describe shortcomings of current transformation policies in Germany, which can largely be attributed to the exclusion of labour from decision making on the transformation processes, particularly the lack of democratic control of production and insufficient consideration of workers’ interests. The article introduces the concept of ecosocial conversion and several conceptual and theoretical reference points for such a strategy, including the notions of just transition, sustainable work, and labour process theory. The latter should be ‘greened’, while the transformation process should by design extend democratic control over production. Using Germany as a case study, the article discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with ecosocial conversion, specifically addressing issues related to ecology as a common good, the scope of action within Germany’s industrial relations, and the framework conditions of ecosocial conversion. As the transformation challenges the impact power of trade unions, economic and institutional power resources of the workers’ movement need to be complemented with a social movement unionism approach to organizing, campaigning and coalition building, which aligns with the social power approach to a just transition.