Partnership versus organising: alternative futures for British trade unionism

This paper describes, analyses and offers an evaluation of two current proposals for the revival of British trade unions. These are the pursuit of partnership with employers and the attempt to recreate membership and collective organisation by application of the ‘organising model’. The paper draws on a comprehensive review of debate and research on each proposal as it has unfolded in recent years and concludes by considering whether or not these seeming alternatives can form part of a concerted attempt to revive the fortunes of the British labour movement.     

Living with the past: trade unionism in Hungary since political pluralism

This article, in the context of a national fuel strike in October 1990, offers a detailed analysis of the largest of the new independent trade union federations in Hungary which emerged after the fall of Communism.     

Race discrimination at work: the moderating role of trade unionism in English local government

Workplace racism remains a serious issue despite over forty years of legislation alongside a raft of HRM policies. There remains limited research on the differences in employment experiences of British Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and their white colleagues. There is a power imbalance at work as between individual employees and management, and this lack of equity has been traditionally counterbalanced by strong workplace trade unionism. In particular, we know little about the role of trade unionism on the perception of workplace equality among BAME employees. Using more than 2,580 valid responses from full‐time employees in highly unionised local councils, this study shows that BAME employees have a significantly lower evaluation than their white colleague of fair pay and equal work environment. The latter fully mediates the negative perception between BAME staff and fair pay; and furthermore, the perception of union commitment to equality strengthened their views of a management‐supported equal work environment.     

Partnership and multi‐unionism in the Health Service

This paper explores the development and implementation of ‘workplace social partnerships’ in two NHS Trusts. Empirically, we argue that inter‐ and intra‐union relations can both facilitate and constrain management decision making and the implementation of policy; conceptually, we highlight the inconsistencies in the parties’ perspectives on ‘workplace partnership’.     

The skilled revolt against general unionism: the case of the BL Toolroom Committee

During the 1970s, the position of craft workers became increasingly acute: their traditional differentials over semi-skilled and unskilled workers were eroded to an unprecedented degree; and their privileged position within their trade unions was weakened. Here Hugh Scullion examines developments through a case study of the BL Toolroom Committee.     

Trade unionism and partnership in practice: evidence from the Barclays–Unifi agreement

This article draws on empirical evidence from Barclays Bank PLC to explore the impact of partnership on trade union organisation. It outlines the rationale, development, benefits and pitfalls of the partnership agreement between Barclays and Unifi. Particular attention is paid to the positive impact the agreement has had on systems of workplace representation and on the ways in which the partnership needs to develop to better serve the trade union side. It is argued that unions need to manage the risks of partnership, ensuring their continued legitimacy in the eyes of union members.     

The impact of trade unionism and the market in a regional newspaper

Initiatives by a regional newspaper to affect changes in work organisation are analysed in terms of the changing market for newspapers and the constraint of the power of the NGA. An incremental strategy has achieved managerial goals without the exclusion of the NGA from its representative role.     

Workplace unionism under decentralised bargaining in France: a case study of the CGT in the car industry

Considering recent theoretical accounts on the trajectory of French unionism under localised bargaining, this article examines potential consequences for the country's traditionally largest radical union, Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT). Deploying a case study of CGT at PSA Peugeot Citroёn and Renault in the years since the 2008 automotive crisis, the article observes a persistent pattern of militant opposition within company and plant union sections. Company bargaining structure, interunion reformist collaboration and electoral considerations are identified as workplace mechanisms reinforcing CGT actions at this level.     

Urban labour,voice and legitimacy: economic development and the emergence of community unionism

Community unionism has emerged in the past decade as a growing strand of industrial relations research and is influencing trade union strategies for renewal. This article seeks to further develop the concept, while exploring the potential roles for unions in communities subject to projects of urban regeneration.     

The legal professions and trade unionism: the ‘Dicey’ dilemma

Are the legal professions simply glorified trade unions? In 1867 Dicey's consideration of the question proved inconclusive. Recent evidence, culminating in the trade union like defence of their practices by the professions following the Government's 1989 Green Paper, seems to have resolved his dilemma.     

The importance of gender for participation in and attitudes to trade unionism

This article attempts to establish the main determinants of an employee's involvement in trade unionism, and to explain the male/female differential in union participation. Women, especially parttime workers, are less likely to participate in union meetings than men, which seems largely attributable to women's lower favourability to trade unions, although women are as likely as men to believe in the principles of trade unionism.     

Restructuring as a reaction to growing pressure on trade unionism: the case of the Austrian ÖGB

After charting the specific problems that the Austrian Trade Union Confederation (ÖGB) faces, this article describes the ÖGB's predominant strategy in reaction to growing pressure: structural adjustments. They focus on external restructuring, especially mergers, and union administration. The article analyses the motivations for restructuring and assesses whether transformative restructuring can be observed.     

The logic of ‘market-share’ trade unionism: is membership decline inevitable?

In the context of trade union membership decline since 1979 the author analyses the pressures which support competition between unions to secure larger shares of the membership in existing organised sectors rather than membership expansion in the growing private services sector     

Industrial relations in Denmark: problems and perspectives*

Most studies on Scandinavian industrial relations have inevitably focused on Sweden, and little has so far been written on Danish industrial relations[1]. This article highlights the similarities and differences between the Danish system and the ‘Swedish model’, and examines some of the current issues in Danish industrial relations.     

Work environment and participation: the case of teachers in Denmark and New Zealand

Employees' participation in decision making at work is often identified as a key element in work environment quality. In this comparative case study, the focus is on teachers' work in Denmark and Zealand. The substantial variations in work environment quality found across four schools are shown to be associated with corresponding differences in participation. In particular, perceived work environment quality is associated with collective and representative forms of participation.     

Trade union democracy and individualisation: the cases of Denmark and Sweden

Combining central concepts of individualisation and trade union democracy with empirical results from Swedish and mainly Danish surveys, this article analyses how the tendencies towards individualisation in the membership affects union democracy. The analysis indicates that the individualisation affects union democracy negatively. However individualisation is a relative concept.