Workplace Industrial Relations in the General Print Sector Covered by National Bargaining

Workplace Industrial Relations in the General Print Sector Covered by National Bargaining. James Telford A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Hertfordshire for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The programme of research was carried out in the Department of Human Resources and Strategy, in the Business School, University of Hertfordshire. October 2007. i Abstract Set against a background of technological change, national bargaining and union merger, this thesis considers the impact of a changing structural, economic and political climate on the resilience of national pay bargaining within general print, a little documented but important section of the economy. It seeks to examine contemporary workplace industrial relations where, against national trends, national bargaining has been resilient. It is in the light of there being a long association with strong, regulatory unionism within the sector that this study seeks to explore the reality of workplace industrial relations under national bargaining. There has been a wealth of theoretical and empirical data produced on the background to the wider debate on the declining influence of multi-employer bargaining across the UK economy. However, little work has been committed to the general printing sector that investigates why, in the face of fundamental changes to industrial relations practice, the national agreement for this sector appears to have continued relatively unscathed. The thesis draws on the experience of twelve branches with respect to the impact of the national agreement; three case studies in general print sector companies located in the South West, Humberside and Anglia regions; and on documentary evidence and participant observation. Analysis of the thesis was informed by classical and contemporary writers on industrial relations. The thesis finds a shift from traditional adversarial approaches to partnership in national agreement negotiations. The thesis reveals that at the workplace level, the chapel structure remains intact with its traditional, hierarchal structure and the accompanying issues of gender segregation and worker exclusion remaining firmly embedded within chapels. Behind this appearance of chapel strength an air of apathy and poor organisation impacts on union activity and local bargaining. The thesis concludes by critiquing shifts away from traditional bargaining and questions the state of workplace organisation with changes in union structure. Importantly, the thesis presents data on the state of collective bargaining in the sector, and in particular identifies a shift from the traditional adversarial approach to partnership in the national agreement; it also identifies the difference in the image and reality of workplace organisation in the sector where behind the appearance of chapel strength lies an air of apathy and poor organisation that ultimately impacts on chapel activity and local bargaining. Using Kelly‟s model for union renewal the thesis assesses the level of union activity and considers the likelihood of increased union activity in the workplace in the general print sector ii Acknowledgements To Jill, Hayley, Joanne and James. Many thanks my family and friends who have supported me throughout this project and special thanks to my supervisors Geraldine Healy and Al Rainnie. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the GPMU Branches who helped me with access to companies for my field work and to those who entered into discussions about my research. iii Glossary. ACAS Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service AEEU Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union ASLP Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers BDC Biennial Delegate Conference BFMP British Federation of Master Printers BPIF British Printing Industries Federation CAC Central Arbitration Committee CRE Commission for Racial Equality DfES Department for Education and Skills DoE Department of Employment DTI Department for Trade and Industry ECJ European Court of Justice ERA Employment Relations Act FOC Father of the Chapel FMP Federation of Master Printers and Allied Trades of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland GMB General Municipal and Boilermakers Union GPMU Graphical Paper and Media Union HRM Human Resource Management HSC Health and Safety Commission ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network LRD Labour Research Department LSC Learning and Skills Council LTS London Typographical Society MD Managing Director MIS Management Information Systems MOC Mother of the Chapel NIRC National Industrial Relations Court NALGO National Association of Local Government Officers NATSOPA National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants NGA National Graphical Association NS Newspaper Society NUJ National Union of Journalists P&KTF Printing and Kindred Trades Federation PETF Print Education and Training Forum PIRA Printing Industries Research Association SLADE Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers SOGAT Society of Graphical and Allied Trades TA Typographical Association T&GWU Transport and General Workers Union TUC Trade Union Congress ULF Union Learning Fund ULR Union Learning Representative WERS Workplace Employee Relations Survey WIRS Workplace Industrial Relations Survey iv Contents. Chapter One pp 1 – 16 Introductory Chapter Chapter Two pp 17 - 90 Industrial Relations in the UK Chapter Three pp 91 - 115 Locating General Print in History: an overview of the advance in printing technology. Chapter Four pp 116 - 146 Literature Review. Industrial Relations and collective bargaining in the General Print Sector. Chapter Five pp 147 – 172 Research Methods. Chapter Six pp 173 - 209 The Resilience of National Pay Bargaining and the General Printing Industry‟s response to an agenda for change. Chapter Seven pp 210 - 219 The Case Studies. Chapter Eight pp 220 - 264 The BPIF Agreement and its Impact on Workplace Organisation. Chapter Nine pp 265 - 286 Conclusion. v Bibliography pp 287 – 299 Appendix I Print Questionnaire Appendix II Map of GPMU Branches Appendix III Workplace Interview Schedules Appendix IV Request and Response for Interviews vi Chapter One Introduction. Title of the Research Programme: Workplace industrial relations in the general print sector covered by national pay bargaining. Set against a background of technological change, national bargaining and union merger, this thesis considers the impact of a changing structural, economic and political climate on the resilience of national pay bargaining within this little documented but important section of the economy. The thesis also seeks to examine contemporary workplace industrial relations in the general print sector in the context of a resilient national bargaining framework. My own personal interest in the scope and impact of the union at work began to develop as a result of being elected to become a full time trade union official in the Hertfordshire and Essex region for the then National Graphical Association in 1988. In taking up this position I experienced the union representative role from an entirely different perspective. As a lithographic machine manager and active trade union member I had been involved in the day to day minutia of chapel life. I gained a wider knowledge of what was happening in the industry in the region through my involvement on the branch committee, and nationally, through the workplace representative training offered by the union and through attending Biennial Delegate Conferences. However, my industrial relations focus up to that point had been parochial. In my new position I quickly became aware that I was now part of a 1 national structure, albeit that the tradition of branch autonomy within the union was paramount within this structure. In my new surroundings I had access to a wealth of information on the structure and organisation of the union and was able to appreciate more fully the historical importance of the evolution of the trade and industry. Obviously, I had a professional interest in acquiring as much knowledge as possible of industrial relations in the industry, but this professional interest developed into a personal interest and I began to look at ways to expand my knowledge of industrial relations not just in the printing industry, but in the workplace in general. This thirst for knowledge led to my having some discussions with the national education officer for the union, then the Graphical, Paper and Media Union as the result of an amalgamation with The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades, in 1991, who encouraged me to enrol on the Certificate in Industrial Relations course at Keele University. On completion of the certificate I continued my studies and in 1995 achieved a Masters Degree in Industrial Relations at Keele. Having developed an interest in research, I undertook some preliminary investigation into the general print sector of the industry in collaboration with Geraldine Healy and Al Rainnie at the University of Hertfordshire. Primarily because of my own background of being involved in the general print sector for most of my working time in the industry, and also as a result of my early research uncovering a lack of literature on industrial relations in general print, I embarked on undertaking this research project into the state of industrial relations in the general print sector. To this end, the aims and objectives of my PhD research are as follows: 2 Aims: To assess the impact of a changing structural, economic and political climate on the resilience of national

Load more