Poissulkemisen ja kriisipolitiikkaan alistumisen välillä

Brittiläisen ammattiyhdistystoiminnan tilasta

Författare

• Hans Kastendiek

Abstract

The political power and social significance of British trade unions have profoundly diminished under contemporary conservative government. The article deals with the present situation of trade unionism, beginning with the political consensus of the War Coalition (1940—45) and the economic high conjuncture of the 1950s, both of which created the basis for collective bargaining in Britain. The wide-spread concept of strong trade unions is, however, pointed false, because when the British economy got into troubles because of its minimal innovative ability, the trade unions could not negotiate multi-employer agreements, which are so common elsewhere in Europe, although the recruitment of members had been so prosperous. The main intentions of the conservative program of Thatcherism towards industrial relations is discussed, as well as government’s success in ignoring massive and long strikes. — Trade unionism has reacted to this situation by introducing a new policy, called »new realism», which is planned to guarantee strike-free industrial relations for employers and secure jobs for workers. As a consequence of this policy. British trade unionism has had no possibilities to prevent the closing down of whole branches of industry and the decline of several regions of the country.