Indian Journal of Industrial Relations: Economics & Social Dev.

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Britain's Trade Union Modernisation: State Policy & Union Projects


Affiliations
1 Centre for Employment Relations Innovation and Change at the University of Leeds
2 Comparative Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations at Manchester
     

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This paper examines the nature and process of trade union modernisation in Britain, through an analysis of the Labour Government's Trade Union Modernisation Fund (UMF). The key concern of the paper is to examine how the state has sought to influence the modernisation processes of trade unions via the UMF, the union response and what the potential gains may be. The paper argues that the UMF has not led to an inevitable subjugation of unions to state policy; instead projects have fostered new ideas within unions and have led to the development of new participative, communication structures, new organisational skills and new representational roles around the promotion of workplace equality.
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  • Britain's Trade Union Modernisation: State Policy & Union Projects

Abstract Views: 300  |  PDF Views: 2

Authors

Mark Stuart
Centre for Employment Relations Innovation and Change at the University of Leeds
Miguel Martinez Lucio
Comparative Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations at Manchester

Abstract


This paper examines the nature and process of trade union modernisation in Britain, through an analysis of the Labour Government's Trade Union Modernisation Fund (UMF). The key concern of the paper is to examine how the state has sought to influence the modernisation processes of trade unions via the UMF, the union response and what the potential gains may be. The paper argues that the UMF has not led to an inevitable subjugation of unions to state policy; instead projects have fostered new ideas within unions and have led to the development of new participative, communication structures, new organisational skills and new representational roles around the promotion of workplace equality.

References