British Conservatism and Trade Unionism, 1945–1964

British Conservatism and Trade Unionism, 1945–1964 PDF Author: Dr Peter Dorey
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1409480283
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
For most of the twentieth century, the Conservative Party engaged in an ongoing struggle to curb the power of the trade unions, culminating in the radical legislation of the Thatcher governments. Yet, as this book shows, for a brief period between the end of the Second World War and the election of Harold Wilson's Labour government in 1964, the Conservative Party adopted a remarkably constructive and conciliatory approach to the trade unions, dubbed 'voluntarism'. During this time the party leadership made strenuous efforts to avoid, as far as was politically possible, confrontation with, or legislation against, the trade unions, even when this incurred the wrath of some Conservative backbenchers and the Party's mass membership. In explaining why the Conservative leadership sought to avoid conflict with the trade unions, this study considers the economic circumstances of the period in question, the political environment, electoral considerations, the perspective adopted by the Conservative leadership in comprehending industrial relations and explaining conflict in the workplace, and the personalities of both the Conservative leadership and the key figures in the trade unions. Making extensive use of primary and archival sources it explains why the 1945-64 period was unique in the Conservative Party's approach to Britain's trade unions. By 1964, though, even hitherto Conservative defenders of voluntarism were acknowledging that some form of official inquiry into the conduct and operation of trade British unionism, as a prelude to legislation, was necessary, thereby signifying that the heyday of 'voluntarism' and cordial relations between senior Conservatives and the trade unions was coming to an end.

British Conservatism and Trade Unionism, 1945–1964

British Conservatism and Trade Unionism, 1945–1964 PDF Author: Dr Peter Dorey
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1409480283
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
For most of the twentieth century, the Conservative Party engaged in an ongoing struggle to curb the power of the trade unions, culminating in the radical legislation of the Thatcher governments. Yet, as this book shows, for a brief period between the end of the Second World War and the election of Harold Wilson's Labour government in 1964, the Conservative Party adopted a remarkably constructive and conciliatory approach to the trade unions, dubbed 'voluntarism'. During this time the party leadership made strenuous efforts to avoid, as far as was politically possible, confrontation with, or legislation against, the trade unions, even when this incurred the wrath of some Conservative backbenchers and the Party's mass membership. In explaining why the Conservative leadership sought to avoid conflict with the trade unions, this study considers the economic circumstances of the period in question, the political environment, electoral considerations, the perspective adopted by the Conservative leadership in comprehending industrial relations and explaining conflict in the workplace, and the personalities of both the Conservative leadership and the key figures in the trade unions. Making extensive use of primary and archival sources it explains why the 1945-64 period was unique in the Conservative Party's approach to Britain's trade unions. By 1964, though, even hitherto Conservative defenders of voluntarism were acknowledging that some form of official inquiry into the conduct and operation of trade British unionism, as a prelude to legislation, was necessary, thereby signifying that the heyday of 'voluntarism' and cordial relations between senior Conservatives and the trade unions was coming to an end.

Trade Unions in Western Europe since 1945

Trade Unions in Western Europe since 1945 PDF Author: J. Visser
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1349655112
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 812

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Book Description
The Societies of Europe is an 8-title series of historical data handbooks and accompanying CD-ROM sets, on the development of Europe from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. The series is a product of the Mannheim Centre for Social research, a body dedicated to comparative research on Europe and one of the leading social research institutes in the world. It is a collection of datasets giving a clear and systematic study of long term developments in European society. The data is presented statistically and is clearly comparative. The Societies of Europe is the most comprehensive data series available on Western European social issues. Each book is accompanied by a CD-ROM containing data sets not included in the text enabling users to manipulate the data as wanted. Information is available in different programmes (Excel, SPSS and SAS) and in data structures for analysis, viewing and building time series. This comparative data handbook offers an empirical base to a long-term and comparative understanding of changes and variations in European union movements. It provides information on the context and history of union development, the changes in the structure of post-war unionism until today, the long-term trends in union membership and union density, and the shifts in the cross-sectional composition of union membership. This book and CD-ROM are the result of many years of research by the authors in collaboration with an international research team, and provides an original source for comparative and national studies or individual enquiries. The country and comparative tables offer cross-checked and often newly-calculated statistics on national union organizations and their membership series. The CD-ROM includes selected tables from the handbook and provides additional databases with organizational data and membership series of major national and European union organizations.

The Conservative Party and the Trade Unions

The Conservative Party and the Trade Unions PDF Author: Peter Dorey
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134921586
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Peter Dorey examines the attitudes and policies of the Conservative Party towards the trade unions from the nineteenth century onwards. He links these to wider political and economic circumstances, and studies the key personalities involved. There has always been disagreement within the Conservative Party as to how it should deal with the trade unions. These disagreements have, in large part, reflected divisions within British Conservatism itself.

The Contentious Alliance

The Contentious Alliance PDF Author: Lewis Minkin
Publisher: Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 716

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Book Description
Minkin, regarded as Britain's foremost authority on Labour Party politics, marshalls a great deal of new primary material to present a comprehensive assessment of one of the most significant yet stormy alliances in British political life. Distributed by Columbia U. Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

British Trade Unions and Industrial Politics

British Trade Unions and Industrial Politics PDF Author: John Mcllroy
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429842961
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
First published in 1999, this volume describes the political climate and state of trade unions after the second world war in Britain. Detailing the transition of individuals who had survived in the war or had taken part in the war effort to going back a civilian life in 1945. Following the rise of the Labour party in Britain until 1964.

Speak for Britain!

Speak for Britain! PDF Author: Martin Pugh
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1407051555
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 490

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Book Description
Written at a critical juncture in the history of the Labour Party, Speak for Britain! is a thought-provoking and highly original interpretation of the party's evolution, from its trade union origins to its status as a national governing party. It charts Labour's rise to power by re-examining the impact of the First World War, the general strike of 1926, Labour's breakthrough at the 1945 general election, the influence of post-war affluence and consumerism on the fortunes and character of the party, and its revival after the defeats of the Thatcher era. Controversially, Pugh argues that Labour never entirely succeeded in becoming 'the party of the working class'; many of its influential recruits - from Oswald Mosley to Hugh Gaitskell to Tony Blair - were from middle and upper-class Conservative backgrounds and rather than converting the working class to socialism, Labour adapted itself to local and regional political cultures.

Political Purpose in Trade Unions

Political Purpose in Trade Unions PDF Author: Irving Richter
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429830246
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 199

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Book Description
First published in 1973. In this study of trade union political activity in the period since 1945, the author demolishes much of the original rhetoric and inherited wisdom to provide an alternative insight on the entire subject of unions in politics. For his study the author has chosen to examine, in detail, the political interests and activities of a representative group of British unions, while an extended chapter makes a comparative assessment of the American experience. This title will be of interest to scholars and students of history and politics.

Who Rules America Now?

Who Rules America Now? PDF Author: G. William Domhoff
Publisher: Touchstone
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The author is convinced that there is a ruling class in America today. He examines the American power structure as it has developed in the 1980s. He presents systematic, empirical evidence that a fixed group of privileged people dominates the American economy and government. The book demonstrates that an upper class comprising only one-half of one percent of the population occupies key positions within the corporate community. It shows how leaders within this "power elite" reach government and dominate it through processes of special-interest lobbying, policy planning and candidate selection. It is written not to promote any political ideology, but to analyze our society with accuracy.

Organizing Matters

Organizing Matters PDF Author: Guy Mundlak
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1839104031
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 359

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Book Description
Organizing Matters demonstrates the interplay between two distinct logics of labour’s collective action: on the one hand, workers coming together, usually at their place of work, entrusting the union to represent their interests and, on the other hand, social bargaining in which the trade union constructs labour’s interests from the top down. The book investigates the tensions and potential complementarities between the two logics through the combination of a strong theoretical framework and an extensive qualitative case study of trade union organizing and recruitment in four countries – Austria, Germany, Israel and the Netherlands. These countries still utilize social-wide bargaining but find it necessary to draw and develop strategies transposed from Anglo-American countries in response to continuously declining membership.

British Trade Unions and Industrial Politics: The post-war compromise, 1945-64

British Trade Unions and Industrial Politics: The post-war compromise, 1945-64 PDF Author: Alan Campbell
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
The first of two volumes focusing on the politics of British trade unionism since World War II, considering not only the movement's relations with the state but also factionalism, the dynamics of industrial struggle, and the allegiances of union activists. Historians, scholars of politics and industrial relations, and others present 11 studies, many from a September 1997 conference in Warwick augmented with commissioned essays, include overviews, a survey, and case studies. The second volume is subtitled The High Tide of Trade Unionism, 1940-1979. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR