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‘Walking a fine line’: Union perspectives on partnership in nursing and midwifery workplaces

Author

Listed:
  • Cécile Guillaume

    (Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, UK)

  • Gill Kirton

    (School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, UK)

Abstract

Drawing on qualitative research in the main UK unions for nurses/midwives, this article explores union reps’ views of the functioning of workplace partnership in two feminized professions working in the English National Health Service (NHS). Through the investigation of two professional unions, which despite their vitality remain under-researched, the study offers an investigation of the interactions between formal and informal partnership arrangements at the workplace level, the ways in which they intersect with the professional nature of the union context, and the deterioration of working conditions. In doing so, this article contributes to reflections on the prospects of workplace partnership for professional trade unions.

Suggested Citation

  • Cécile Guillaume & Gill Kirton, 2023. "‘Walking a fine line’: Union perspectives on partnership in nursing and midwifery workplaces," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(3), pages 893-909, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:44:y:2023:i:3:p:893-909
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X221094871
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Denis Harrisson & Mario Roy & Victor Haines III, 2011. "Union Representatives in Labour–Management Partnerships: Roles and Identities in Flux," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(3), pages 411-435, September.
    2. Peter Gahan & Andreas Pekarek, 2013. "Social Movement Theory, Collective Action Frames and Union Theory: A Critique and Extension," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(4), pages 754-776, December.
    3. Caroline Lloyd, 1997. "Decentralization in the NHS: Prospects for Workplace Unionism," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 427-446, September.
    4. Nick Krachler & Jennie Auffenberg & Luigi Wolf, 2021. "The Role of Organizational Factors in Mobilizing Professionals: Evidence from Nurse Unions in the United States and Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(3), pages 643-668, September.
    5. Ian Kessler & Paul Heron, 2001. "Steward Organization in a Professional Union: The Case of The Royal College of Nursing," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 39(3), pages 367-391, September.
    6. John Geary & Aurora Trif, 2011. "Workplace Partnership and the Balance of Advantage: A Critical Case Analysis," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(Supplemen), pages 44-69, June.
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