Industrial Relations Law in the UK

Industrial relations law in the United Kingdom has undergone changes brought about by the European Union and by Labour governments elected from 1997 onwards. While those changes have not been revolutionary, they have shifted the landscape of industrial relations.

The isolation and demonization of trade unions under earlier Conservative governments was addressed by Labour through the establishment of a ‘partnership’ role for unions within the workplace alongside a statutory recognition procedure. Also, within this period, opportunities for unions to represent their members’ interests within information and consultation procedures were increased through EU initiatives. In parallel, however, unions’ ability to strike has been very limited, while their one-time representational monopoly has been further diluted by the development of alternative channels of worker representation.

This book gives an overview of the legal framework governing industrial relations in the United Kingdom at a time when a Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition government is engaging in a substantial ‘Employment Law Review’, which threatens to undermine limited advances in collective employment law. This publication is written for students, academics and professionals interested in collective labour law and industrial relations in a national, European and international context.