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The Effects of British Industrial Relations Legislation 1979-97

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2020

William Brown ,
Simon Deakin  and
Paul Ryan
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Abstract

The recent change of government brings to an end a sustained attempt to transform British industrial relations by legislative action. This article explores the consequences. It explains the cumulative effect of the legal changes since 1979, including the growing influence of the European Community, and examines the economic and social results. While legal intervention has had an impact on the institutions of industrial relations, most notably in reducing the power of organised labour, this cannot be isolated from wider structural changes in labour and product markets. A review of research on economic outcomes suggests an uneven and tenuous link between institutional change and economic performance.

Type
Articles
Information
National Institute Economic Review , Volume 161 , July 1997 , pp. 69 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 National Institute of Economic and Social Research

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Footnotes

∗

The authors wish to thank Maria Hudson and Cliff Pratten, with whom they are currently engaged in fieldwork on the individualisation of employment contracts. Thanks also to members of the CLARE Group for helpful comments, and to Greg Bamber, Bill Callaghan, Bernard Ebbinghaus, Anthony Ferner, Simon Goldstone, Mark Hall, Bob Hepple, Richard Hyman, Bente Ingebrigtsen, Steve Jefferys, Ian McAndrew, Paul Marginson, John Monks, Graham Osborne, Jim Scoville, Priya Sharma, Steen Sheuer, Tony Smith, Bob Simpson, Mike Terry, and Paul Willman for miscellaneous help.

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