Conservative Legislation and Trade Union Power

2520 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on history of labor unions in the united states

Conservative Legislation (during the 1980s and early 1990’s) and Trade Union Power

Trade Unions can be defined as:
‘ Organisations of workers set up to improve the status, pay and conditions of employment of its members’.
Salaman, ‘Industrial Relations’, P77

From the end of the second world war, and up until the 1970’s trade unionism was continually growing. By 1979, 57.3% of all people employed were members of trade unions.

Annual abstract Statistics, 1990, ‘Industrial relations’, M.P. Jackson, 1991, P57

‘Trade unionism may be seen as a social response to industrialisation and capitalism’
Salaman, Industrial relations, P79

In the early days of trade unionism, there was a direct need for workers to be represented, in areas such as manufacturing, there were little channels of communication and as a result of this workers had little or no representation.

The collective bargaining approach, is a system used by trade unions to regulate industrial conflict. If conflict arises, the collective bargaining approach allows the trade unions to come together in a public forum to discuss any conflicting issues. The collective barganing approach in Trade Unionism assumes that the Trade Union is bargaining for the collective group rather than individuals. The collective bargaining group is given the opportunity to resolve any conflicting issues and in some cases but not all can prevent disputes from occurring. Harbison concludes that collective bargaining

‘Provides a drainage channel for worker dis satisfaction’
Harbison in Industrial Relations, M.P.Jackson

In 1970, Britain saw the return of the Conservative government under the power of Edward Heath. After the minors strike, the Conservative government lost power and Britain reverted back to a Labour government. After the ‘winter of discontent’ in 1979, Britain once again saw the return of the Conservative government, however this time it was under the power of Margaret Thatcher.

Previous to Margaret Thatcher, the government had always seen their main focus to be the achievement of ‘full employment’, a solution which in times of 1979 could prove somewhat impossible. The new Conservative government saw their future, as one of creating more jobs and encouraging greater success in competitive product markets, this was in an attempt to achieve full employment. The main priority of the new Conservati...

... middle of paper ...

...strial Relations in Britain Edited by: Geoge Sayers Bain
Published : 1983
Basil Blackwell Publisher Ltd, Oxford

2. The Origins of British Industrial Relations By: Keith Burgess
Published: 1979
Croom Helm Ltd, London

3. The Free Economy and the Strong State-
The Politics of Thatcher, second edition By: Andrew Gamble
Published: 1994
MacMillan Press Ltd, Hampshire

4. Contemporary British Industrial Relations By: S Kessler & F Bayliss
Published: 1988
MacMillan Press Ltd, London

5. Human Resource Maanagement
Rhetorics and Realities By: Karen Legge
Published: 1995
MacMillan Press Ltd, Hampshire

6. Workplace Industrial Relations in Transition By: Millard et al.
Published: 1997
Dartmouth Publishing Co., Aldershot

7. Industrial Relations in the Future By: Poole et al.
Published: 1984
Routledge & Kegon Paul Plc, London

8. Human Resource Management: A Strategic
Introduction, second edition By: G Salaman & C Maby
Published: 1988
Blackwell, Oxford

9. Industrial Relations: Theory & Practice By: Micheal Salaman
Published:
Prentise & Hall, Hemel Hamstead

Show More
Related

  • The White-Collar Union Organizer and The Frustrated Labor Historians

    2269 Words  | 5 Pages

    To conclude this analysis on the basis of the labor’s extensive history, Sloane & Witney (2010) propose, “it is entirely possible that labor’s remarkable staying power has been because of the simple fact that to many workers, from the nineteenth century to the present, there really has been no acceptable substitute for collective bargaining as a means of maintaining and improving employment conditions” (p.80). In the end, it is important to anticipate unions and employers presently work together to find solutions that will enhance collective bargaining strategies and practices to serve the interest of both parties.

    Read More

  • Apush Dbq

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the industrialization, machine became so important that workers’ excellent skill was not necessary anymore. So talented workers were no more valuable. Entrepreneurs could easily hire cheaper workers to run the machine, which lower the workers’ salaries in a certain degree. Then of course workers wanted to gain equality with their employers like what they lived before. Therefore, workers established Unions to protect their own benefits.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions In The 1800's

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    The rise of industrialization and laissez faire were key constituents in the rise of labor unions; businesses were given more breathing room and had more influence in the economics than the government. Citizens were feuding the need to obtain better working hours, reasonable wages, and safer working conditions; this was mainly prompted by industrialization. The three most prominent labor unions in this time period were the American Railway labor(1890s), Knights of Labor (mid-1880s) and the National Labor Union (1866); they pushed forward forward

    Read More

  • Decline of Union Membership

    2292 Words  | 5 Pages

    Union affiliation was first seen in the 1600’s when the roots of the United States were just being planted with skilled trade groups such as artisans, laborers, goldsmiths and printers. Over the next two hundred years, unions developed their desires for higher wages through the use of strikes and protests. The nation’s progress spurred the need for more labor and so began the Industrial Revolution. During the Revolution, many union members began to witness the power that employers had and as a result decided to make use of the concept of power in numbers. The National Labor Union formed in 1866 and worked to persuade congress to set a Federal eight-hour workday, which applied to government employees (Miller). Many large unions formed following in the NLU’s footsteps and uni...

    Read More

  • What Are The Causes Of The Industrial Revolution Dbq

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unions were looked down upon and often scoffed at by factory owners. England even went through a period where unions were outlawed because of how liberal they were. People during the time of the Industrial Revolution were taken advantage of and were not paid as much as they should have been. One protester was set up at a train station protesting “against the triumph of machinery and the gain and glory which the wealthy. men were likely to derive from it,” (Document 2).

    Read More

  • The Haymarket Bombing

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although factories allowed their skilled workers to keep their jobs, they expected them to take a pay cut. Also, with the pay cut, the skilled workers were forced to give up the skilled work that they took pride in. With workers becoming frustrated with not having freedom and, skilled workers not being treated fairly, unions were created. After factories became industrialized, trade unions were being created for workers with similar frustrations and views.

    Read More

  • The Gilded Age: Unions and the Labor Movement

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    The craft workers were successful in organizing because unlike the unskilled workers they could not be replaced easily. This union bargained for thing such as 8 hour work days, higher wages did not deal with social reforms. Women’s wages were not considered because the AFL dealt

    Read More

  • The History of the American Labor Union

    2294 Words  | 5 Pages

    To begin, we need to look towards the first recorded instance of a labor union in the United States, a union known as the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (http://www.lovkoandking.com/federal-society-of-journeymen-cordwainers---commonwealth-v-pullis.html). In 1794, a group of cordwainers, shoemakers, in Philadelphia banded together to form the United States’ first form of organized labor union through a series of strikes....

    Read More

  • Labor Unions and Democracy

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    Factories were known for their ill treatment of their employees, long hours and dirty and unsafe conditions. In 1866, unions started to form to improve working conditions for the workers. A fundamental problem faced by democratic societies is as long as people live their lives individually and go their separate ways and be selfish individuals, they are unlikely to meet collectively to resolve issues. There needs to be meaningful unity among people to alleviate this problem to get people obliged to one another, so there is a willingness to sacrifice for shared goals. Bonding of its citizens creates a democracy. Unions seemed to offer the middle class a chance to become a crucial part of fostering institutions of constitutional democracy. The unions have went through several transitions, but have always worked for the working force. I will discuss the history of the various unions, their wins and losses, and the struggle of the employee to achieve democracy in the workplace.

    Read More

  • U.S. Labor History

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    This means that a group of workers can unite to gain more power and leverage in bargaining. The bargaining process may include many aspects but usually consists of wages, benefits, terms and conditions of employment. The notion of union came about in the 1700's. In the beginning, as it is today, workers united to "defend the autonomy and dignity of the craftsman against the growing power of the company" (Montgomery). These early unions had many names including societies, social societies and guilds.

    Read More

  • Industrial Revolution DBQ

    448 Words  | 1 Pages

    Unions are voluntary associations joined by workers. The Combination Act of 1800, which hindered the growth of unions, states that every workman's goal, who are entering into any combination should not be obtaining an advance of wages, or to lessen or alter the hours, or influencing any other to quit his work. Any workman who did so shall be committed to jail (Doc 1). Although the Combination Act of 1800 prevented the growth of unions, Ralph Chaplin believes that a worker should join the union. He states that there can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun, but the unions, which makes it strong (Doc 2). Since there's so many workers working in bad conditions, the labor laws came to action.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions in the Late 1800's

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    Labor unions in the late 1800's set out to improve the lives of frequently abused workers. Volatile issues like the eight-hour workday, ridiculously low pay and unfair company town practices were often the fuses that lit explosive conflicts between unions and monopolistic industrialists. Some of the most violent and important conflicts of the time were the Haymarket Affair and the Pullman strike. Each set out to with similar goals and both ended with horrifying consequences.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout American history, labor unions have served to facilitate mediation between workers and employers. Workers seek to negotiate with employers for more control over their labor and its fruits. “A labor union can best be defined as an organization that exists for the purpose of representing its members to their employers regarding wages and terms and conditions of employment” (Hunter). Labor unions’ principal objectives are to increase wages, shorten work days, achieve greater benefits, and improve working conditions. Despite these goals, the early years of union formation were characterized by difficulties (Hunter).

    Read More

  • Collective Bargaining Agreements

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    A collective bargaining agreement collectively sets the terms on which an employer offers individual work contracts to each of its employees in the bargaining unit. A bargaining agreement, also herein referred to as a labour agreement, is a legally enforceable written commitment, which states the rights and duties of all parties involved. The labour agreement should be made in good faith and is intended to be observed and not violated. The National Labour Relations Act obligates employers and unions to bargain in good faith concerning terms and conditions of employment, including hours and wages. Like any normal contract, competent parties must enter into a labour agreement. However, a labour agreement is unique from other legal contracts in that there is no consideration involved and nothing tangible is exchanged. Many, but not all, unions require formal ratification of a new labour contract by a majority membership acceptance, which is determined through vote by the members. Until majority approval of those voting in a ratification election is received, the proposed labour contract is not final. While each labour agreement is unique to the needs of an organization and its employees, most agreements include five issues: (1) Management Rights, (2) Union Security, (3) Wages and Benefits, (4) Individual Security (Seniority) Rights, and (5) Dispute Resolution. Management Rights “Management” is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals by making the best possible use of money, time, materials and people. The management process, when properly executed, involves a wide variety of activities including planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It is management’s role to perform all of these functions in order to maximize results.

    Read More

  • Collective Bargaining

    1719 Words  | 4 Pages

    Collective bargaining is the process in which employers and unions undergo a series of negotiations that include terms and typical of collective bargaining where both parties concur to conditions of employment. These conditions may include wages, hours, and working conditions (Budd 229).

    Read More

More about Conservative Legislation and Trade Union Power

Open Document