Employee Relations: An International Journal

Marchington, Mick

1979 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054936

The issue of union power never seems to be far from the centre of political debate and, indeed, during the last year, its prominence would seem to be more marked than usual. For example, the Social Contract and the Concordat between the previous Labour Government and the TUC have been used as illustrations of the way in which union power was influencing and, to a large extent, determining national policy over a wide range of subjects. The familiar cartoon of James Callaghan asking the advice of Jack Jones and Moss Evans bore witness to this. Similarly, industrial democracyprincipally the idea of workers on the Boardhas been regarded by many industrialists as a basic attack upon the traditions of private enterprise and a way in which trade unions will infiltrate the decisionmaking processes within companies.

Shields, Peter

1979 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054937

This article argues that the conduct of industrial relations is out of step with the way in which other aspect of business practice are conducted. Production, marketing and selling rely heavily on forecasting, planning and creativity. Industrial relations is largely a process of fighting to solve yesterday's problems in today's crisis.

Cooper, Cary L.

1979 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054938

The growth in microelectronics and its likely impact in a wide variety of industries in the near future offers us a great opportunity not only in becoming more productive and efficient but also in improving the quality of life at work. In many European countries where this microprocessing revolution has already begun, we are witnessing the developing of new systems of work organisation, which are attempting to humanise the work place and to provide workers with greater control over their particular jobs and the decisionmaking process surrounding them.

McIlroy, John

1979 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054939

Introduction In the intense debates concerning industrial relations reform in the last decade and a half, few issues have attracted more heated controversy than the question of the closed shop. The industrial events of the winter of 19789 have led to a renewed debate. This culminated in the TUC producing a Code of Practice for trade unions on the operation of the closed shop and the Conservative Party in their election manifesto committing themselves to a reform of the present legislation in this area.

Saunders, Ken

1979 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054940

It is popularly held that some lessskilled occupations cannot be intrinsically satisfying and meaningful to employees and that extrinsic rewards that is, mainly monetary assume an importance that transcends all else. This belief is certainly not substantiated by our researches of the work of hospital porters in two of the largest and most modern teaching hospitals in this country. These workers have recently been very much in the news on account of the impact their protests for better recognition have made. It is highly significant that instead of finding their work activities alienating, the reverse appears to be so and that the emphasis of their work orientation is on public service and care.