The New Politics of British Trade Unionism: Union Power and the Thatcher Legacy
Title
The New Politics of British Trade Unionism: Union Power and the Thatcher Legacy
Description
The curbing of trade union power has been widely regarded as the major achievement of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, yet students of industrial relations have generally argued that little has changed on the shop floor.
David Marsh’s new book provides an authoritative analysis of the politics of British trade Unionism in the 1990s and an assessment of the last decade major innovations in legislation, policing, and attitudes. He shows how the unions were systematically excluded from the policy process, while employers have generally proved reluctant to use their new opportunities for legal place in the power balance between employers and unions have been much as the result of economic recession as of government legislation and much less has fundamentally changed on the shop floor than the government had wished or expected.
The new politics of British trade unionism is the most up to date introduction to the state of the trade union movement after Thatcher and will be essential reading for students of politics and sociology, industrial relations, and labour law.
David Marsh’s new book provides an authoritative analysis of the politics of British trade Unionism in the 1990s and an assessment of the last decade major innovations in legislation, policing, and attitudes. He shows how the unions were systematically excluded from the policy process, while employers have generally proved reluctant to use their new opportunities for legal place in the power balance between employers and unions have been much as the result of economic recession as of government legislation and much less has fundamentally changed on the shop floor than the government had wished or expected.
The new politics of British trade unionism is the most up to date introduction to the state of the trade union movement after Thatcher and will be essential reading for students of politics and sociology, industrial relations, and labour law.
Creator
David Marsh
Publisher
Macmillan Press, London
Date
1992
Format
PDF
Language
English
Original Format
Paper
Files
Collection
Citation
David Marsh , “The New Politics of British Trade Unionism: Union Power and the Thatcher Legacy,” NCI Archive, accessed July 14, 2026, https://archive.ncirl.ie/items/show/1266.