Labour Relations Also l!y Frank BurchiU

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The NHS: A Case Study (with Alice Casey) Labour Relations

Second Edition

Frank Burchill C) Frank Burchill 1992, 1997

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First edition 1992 Reprinted twice Second edition 1997

Published by PAlGRAVE Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE is the new global academic imprint of St. Martin's Press lLC Scholarly and Reference Division and Palgrave Publishers ltd (formerly Macmillan Press ltd).

ISBN 978-0-333-69521-0 ISBN 978-1-349-14497-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-14497-6

This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. To Jan, Stephen, John, Kath and Liz Contents

List of Tables and Figures x List of Abbreviations xu Introduction to the Second Edition xv

1 Harmony and Conflict 1 Perspectives 2 Conclusion and Further Reading 9

2 The Market for Labour 11 The Neoclassical Model 12 'In the long run we are all dead' 20 Conflict 22 The UK Labour Market 24 Conclusion and Further Reading 33

3 Trade Unions 35 The Origins and Growth of Trade 35 The Early Unions 37 British Unions Today 39 The Condition of the Unions 42 Recognition 54 The Closed Shop 55 Union Responses 55 Multiunionism 58 Size of Unions 60 Conclusion and Further Reading 60

4 The Government of Unions 61 From 'Primitive' to 'Representative' Democracies 61 Shop Stewards 70 The 72 Conclusion and Further Reading 74

vii viii Contents

5 The Employers 75 Management 76 Employers' Associations 76 The Enterprise 80 Management Strategies 85 Conclusion and Further Reading 90

6 Collective Bargaining 91 Coverage at Collective Bargaining 93 Bargaining Levels 94 Bargaining Units 97 The Content of Bargaining 98 Joint Consultation 99 Conclusion and Further Reading 101

7 Procedures 103 Discipline 103 'Doing the Right Thing' 108 Grievances III Conclusion and Further Reading ll8

8 Settling Disputes 119 Procedural Forms ll9 Conciliation 120 Mediation 121 Arbitration 123 The Extent at the Third Party Intervention 124 Related Issues 125 Pendulum Arbitration 128 ACAS 130 Conclusion and Further Reading 132

9 Negotiating 133 The Walton and McKersie Model 134 The Stages of Negotiation 138 The Negotiations 145 The Agreement 147 Conclusion and Further Reading 148 Contents ix

10 Industrial Action 149 'Strikes' 150 'The Right to Strike' 151 Stoppage Patterns in the UK 153 Causes of Strikes 157 The Cost of Strikes 162 Conclusion and Further Reading 163

II Pay 165 Productivity 166 Added Value 168 Time Payments and Performance Payments 171 Performance-Related Pay 173 Job Evaluation 176 Arguments Used in Pay Bargaining 181 Incomes Policies 183 Conclusion and Further Reading 184

12 The New Industrial Relations 185 The Japanese Model 186 Human Rescurce Management 194 Employee Participation 195 International Labour Relations 198

Bibliography 207

Index 211 List of Tables

1.1 Summary of perspectives of labour relations 7 2.1 Estimates and projections of activity rates in Great Britain 26 2.2 Forecast employment change by industry group, UK 30 2.3 Forecast employment change by occupation, UK 30 2.4 Unemployment, 1960-90, UK 32 2.5 Regional unemployment, UK 32 3.1 Union membership and density 43 3.1 (a) Union membership in Great Britain, 1989-95 44 3.2 Labour market characteristics in the European Union and the United States 45 3.3 Union density by workplace characteristics, 1995 46 3.4 Union density by job-related characteristics, 1995 47 3.5 Union density by individual characteristics, 1995 48 3.6 Union membership by sex, by size of union 49 3.7 Membership of top ten unions in 1993 compared with membership of top ten unions in 1988 51 3.8 Membership of the twenty largest TUC unions 52 3.9 International comparisons of union density change in the 1980s 53 3.10 Unions with 100000 members or more 59 3.11 Union numbers and membership at the end of 1993 59 5.1 Main employers' associations: number of members for selected years, 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1994 78 10.1 Stoppages in progress, 1975-95 155 10.2 Labour disputes: working days not worked per thousand employees in all industries and services, 1985-94 159

x List of Figures

2.1 Civilian labour force, Great Britain, 1971-95 24 2.2 British labour market activity rates by age and by sex 28 2.3 Activity rates by age in Great Britain, spring 1984 and 1995 29 2.4 UK unemployment rates, 1881-1995 31 3.1 Trade unions, 1898-1988 49 9.1 Target positions 142 10.1 Industrial stoppages, 1893-1976, UK 154 10.2 Working days lost from industrial stoppages, 1893-1976, UK 156 10.3 Percentage of all strikes conducted over wages and wage-related issues 1893-1980, UK 161 11.1 (a) Trading results 169 11.1 (b) Added value 170 11.2 Scores plotted on scattergraph 178 12.1 History of the international trade union movement 202 12.2 Structure of the ICFfU 204

xi Abbreviations

ACAS Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service AEEU Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (merger of AEU and EETPU) AEU Amalgamated Engineering Union AflrCIO Amalgamated Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organisations APEX Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (now part of GMB) ASTMS Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs (now MSF) AUCCTU All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions BAOT British Association of Occupational Therapists BIFU Banking, Insurance and Finance Union BMA British Medical Association CAC Central Arbitration Committee CATU Ceramic and Allied Trades Union CBI Confederation of British Industry CDNA and District Nursing Association CEEP European Centre of Public Enterprises CGT Confederation Generale du Travail COHSE Confederation of Health Service Employees (see ) CPSA Civil and Public Services Association CSP Chartered Society of Physiotherapy CWU Communication Workers Union (formed from UCWandNCU) EAT Employment Appeal Tribunal EC European Community (-ies) ECOSOC Economic and Social Committee EEF Engineering Employers' Association EETPU Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (see AEEU) EIS Educational Institute of Scodand EMF European Metalworkers' Federation

xii Abbreviations xiii

ETUC European Trade Union Confederation EWCs European Works Councils EU European Union FOA Final Offer Arbitration GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GDR German Democratic Republic GCHQ Government Communications Headquarters GCTU General Confederation of Trade Unions GMB GMB Union (formerly GMBATU) GMBATU General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union (see GMB) GPMU Graphical, Paper and Media Union (formed from NGA 82 and SOGAT 82) HVA Health Visitors Association ICC International Chamber of Commerce ICF International Chemical Workers' Federation ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ILO International Labour Organisation IOE International Organisation of Employers IPCS Institution of Professional Civil Servants (now IPMS) IPD Institute of Personnel and Development IPM Institute of Personnel Management (now IPD) IPMS Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialists IRSF Inland Revenue Staff Federation (see PTC) JIT just in time MSF Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union NALGO National and Local Government Officers' Association (see UNISON) NCB National Coal Board NCU National Communications Union (formerly POEU, see CWU) NEDO National Economic Development Office NGA82 National Graphical Association (see GPMU) NHS National Health Service NHSE National Health Service Executive NUCPS National Union of Civil and Public Servants (see PTC) NUJ National Union ofJournalists NUM National Union of Mineworkers XIV Abbreviations

NUPE National Union of Public Employees (see UNISON) NUR National Union of Railwaymen (now part of RMT) NUT National Union of Teachers NVQ National Vocational Qualification POEU Post Office Engineering Union PRP Performance Related Pay PTC Public Services, Tax and Commerce (Union) (formed from IRSF and NUCPS) RCM Royal College of Midwives RCN Royal College of Nursing RTUI Red Trade Union International SOGAT82 Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (see GPMU) SoR Society of Radiographers TGWU Transport and General Workers' Union TQM Total Quality Management TUC Trades Union Congress TURERA Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act TWU Tobacco Workers' Union uew Union of Communication Workers (see CWU) UN United Nations UNICE Union des Confederations de I'Industrie et des Employeurs d'Europe UNISON The Public Service Union (formed from COHSE, NALGO and NUPE) WCL World Confederation of Labour WFfU World Federation of Trade Unions Introduction to the Second Edition

The first edition of this text was written as part of a series designed very much for the general reader. This still remains the case with this edition. It differs from the first mainly to the extent that it includes some references in the text, and engages with some of the literature in a more direct fashion, while including recommended reading. These additions reflect the fact that the first edition appears to have been more widely recommended in universities as an introductory text for undergraduates than was intended or anticipated. Nevertheless, these additions are highly selective, and this has been intentional. This is because a general reaction has been that the original text was very readable, and it is hoped that the second edition remains so. Equally, a choice of, rather than exhaustive, referencing is designed to encourage the reader. The objective is to persuade the reader that labour relations is an interesting, important and relevant subject. As explained in the original text, the choice of the title' Labour &lations' was designed to emphasise the concept of labour as a 'factor of production' , and the importance of economic forces in determining its behaviour. Kessler and Bayliss (1995) is strongly recommended throughout this edition as the next step for the interested student. It provides historical, empirical and theoretical material on a scale which this text does not allow. Similarly, these authors provide excellent material on labour in the UK, which is only touched upon in this text.

FRANK BURCHILL

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