Peter Fairbrother and Gerard Griffin (eds) Changing Prospects for Trade Unionism: Comparisons Between Six Countries. (Continium, 2002)

"Trade unions historically were rooted in the occupational communities of skilled workers or as Hyman puts it, "the relatively undifferentiated work situation of labour in the expanding sectors of mas production." For much of the post-war period there was an expansion of mass production and mass consumption, giving rise to arguments about the relationships between macro-economic policies and forms of mass production associated with Fordism. Critical to these arrangements was the state as the "regulator of economic relations and provider of social benefit and protection." p3

"An alternative model has been the view of unionism where the emphasis is on organizing and providing the basis as Hyman, suggests, for a "living collectivity". In this account the membership is an active participant contributing to the development of the collective focus and organisation of the union." - 5

The four causes of union density decline often outlined is structural shifts in the ecomony, changes in employer attitude and outlook, the changing relationship between unions and governements and the changing needs and identities of employees.

page 147 carries a good numerical account of the decline of union density in Ireland.

US multinational "employers employ adopt well integrated sets of "soft" human resource policies, charcterised by good pay and conditions, profit sharing, extensive provision for the excercise of employee voice, high levels of investment in training and development, team working and employee involvement and sophisticated approaches to recruitment, selection, appraisal and other aspects of "flow" management." - p167

Union subsititution strategies.


To read from this book:

http://www.apl.org.ph/APLPrimer/aplprimer_part4.pdf


From Solidarity to Fluidarity: social movements beyond'collective identity'--the case of … - group of 3 »
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Strategy and Trade Union Effectiveness in a Neo-liberal Environment
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The politics of trade unionism: evidence, policy and theory
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New frontiers in European industrial relations / edited by Richard Hyman, An. - Oxford : Blackwell, 1994
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Kelly, John E., John Edward, 1952-. - Rethinking industrial relations : mobilization, collectivism and long waves. - London : Routledge, 1998. - (Routledge studies in employment relations
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