Cryptic crossword clue
In hardship, it’s a restructuring that’s often opposed by unions 13

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word PRIVATISATION

I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "that’s often opposed by unions" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case that’s often opposed by unions = privatisation.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PRIVATISATION mean?

PRIVATISATION noun
  1. The transfer of a company or organization from government to private ownership and control.

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