Critically analyse the extent to which the legislation introduced under the Conservative governments during the 1980s and early 1990s has been responsible for reducing trade union power. Trade Unions can be defined as: Organisations of workers set up to improve the status, pay and conditions of employment of its members. Salaman, Industrial Relations, P77 From the end of the second world war, and up until the 1970s trade unionism was continually growing. By 1979, 57.3% of all people employed were members of trade unions. Annual abstract Statistics, 1990, Industrial relations, M.P. Jackson, 1991, P57Trade unionism may be seen as a social response to industrialisation and capitalism Salaman, Industrial relations, P79In the early days of trade unionism, there was a direct need for workers to be represented, in areas such as manufacturing, there were little channels of communication and as a result of this workers had little or no representation.The collective bargaining approach, is a system used by trade unions to regulate industrial conflict. If conflict arises, the collective bargaining approach allows the trade unions to come together in a public forum to discuss any conflicting issues. The collective barganing approach in Trade Unionism assumes that the Trade Union is bargaining for the collective group rather than individuals. The collective bargaining group is given the opportunity to resolve any conflicting issues and in some cases but not all can prevent disputes from occurring. Harbison concludes that collective bargaining Provides a drainage channel for worker dis satisfaction Harbison in Industrial Relations, M.P.JacksonIn 1970, Britain saw the return of the Conservative government under the power of Edward Heath. After the minors strike, the Conservative government lost power and Britain reverted back to a Labour government. After the winter of discontent in 1979, Britain once again saw the...
