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New Labour’s Reform of Britain’s Employment Law: The Devil is not only in the Detail but in the Values and Policy Too

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  • Paul Smith
  • Gary Morton

Abstract

The Labour government’s goal of social partnership embodies a particular view of the appropriate role of labour within the employment relationship, which requires the marginalization of trade unionism as an autonomous force. Its programme of employment law reform combines a dual focus: first, the reaffirmation of measures that weaken workers’ collective power through the exclusion of autonomous trade unionism, and second, initiatives to regulate the labour market, strengthen workers’ rights within the employment relationship, and include enterprise‐confined, cooperative unions as subordinate ‘partners’. However, the second policy dimension has been diluted because of the commitment to free‐market values.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Smith & Gary Morton, 2001. "New Labour’s Reform of Britain’s Employment Law: The Devil is not only in the Detail but in the Values and Policy Too," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 39(1), pages 119-138, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:39:y:2001:i:1:p:119-138
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-8543.00192
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    Cited by:

    1. Lembcke, Alexander, 2014. "The impact of mandatory entitlement to paid leave on employment in the UK," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60270, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. John Godard, 2003. "Labour Unions, Workplace Rights and Canadian Public Policy," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 29(4), pages 449-467, December.
    3. Miguel Martinez Lucio & Mark Stuart, 2005. "‘Partnership’ and new industrial relations in a risk society," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 19(4), pages 797-817, December.
    4. Anna Pollert & Andy Charlwood, 2009. "The vulnerable worker in Britain and problems at work," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 23(2), pages 343-362, June.
    5. Robert Perrett, 2007. "Worker voice in the context of the re-regulation of employment: employer tactics and statutory union recognition in the UK," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 21(4), pages 617-634, December.
    6. Zagelmeyer, Stefan, 2003. "Die Entwicklung kollektiver Verhandlungen in Großbritannien: ein historischer Überblick," Discussion Papers 17, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.
    7. Bengt Furåker & Mattias Bengtsson, 2013. "Collective and individual benefits of trade unions: a multi-level analysis of 21 European countries," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(5-6), pages 548-565, November.
    8. Chris Forde & Gary Slater, 2005. "Agency Working in Britain: Character, Consequences and Regulation," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 43(2), pages 249-271, June.
    9. Alex Bryson & Erling Barth & Harald Dale-Olsen, 2013. "The Effects of Organizational Change on Worker Well-Being and the Moderating Role of Trade Unions," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(4), pages 989-1011, July.

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