New Labour Policy, Industrial Relations and the Trade Unions

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

   PDF

2. Introduction: Political Trade Unionism in a Cold Climate

   • Steve Coulter

   Pages 1-21

3. The Political Economy of UK Industrial Relations: A Theoretical and Historical Overview

   • Steve Coulter

   Pages 22-44

4. Loosening Party-Union Ties: Clause 4 and OMOV

   • Steve Coulter

   Pages 45-70

5. ‘Insider’ Lobbying in Action: The TUC and New Labour’s First Term Agenda

   • Steve Coulter

   Pages 71-102

6. Political Unionism and Political Exchange in New Labour’s Second Term

   • Steve Coulter

   Pages 103-130

7. Conclusion: Political Trade Unionism Reconsidered

   • Steve Coulter

   Pages 131-139

8. Back Matter

   Pages 140-154

   PDF

New Labour was outwardly hostile to trade unions and their concerns. Yet the Blair government worked closely with the TUC on several key employment reforms. Steve Coulter analyses the dimensions of the often fractious Labour-union partnership and shows how the TUC pursued an 'insider lobbying' route to influence the shape of New Labour's policies.

• economy
• employment
• Government
• Industrial relations
• Policy
• political economy
• reforms
• British Politics

“Steve Coulter’s timely and very welcome book is directly relevant to this debate over trade union politics. The book examines the influence of British trade unions over government policy during the first two New Labour administrations from the late 1990s to mid-2000s.” (Edmund Heery, Transfer, Vol. 22 (2), August, 2016)

"This is a sophisticated yet highly readable account of relations between unions and political parties in today's hard economic times. The conclusion is important: neither centre-left politicians nor organised labour are prisoners of globalisation, but remain crucial political actors in the quest for a balance between efficiency and social justice." Bob Hancké, London School of Economics, UK

"It is often argued that trade unions now wield very little influence over governments in liberal market economies. Steve Coulter's original and highly readable research study of the New Labour period in the UK suggests, on the contrary, that with the appropriate leadership and strategy, unions remain a significant political force." John Kelly, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

• London School of Economics, UK

  Steve Coulter

Steve Coulter is LSE Fellow in the Political Economy of Europe at the London School of Economics, UK.

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