States that the future of trade unionism depends partly on structural factors such as the level of unemployment and also on workers coming to believe that unionism is essential to protect their interests. Draws from the literature on social movements to analyse the ways in which workers arrive at such a viewpoint. According to theory workers must feel a sense of injustice, they must believe management is responsible and they must hold negative views of management. Data from the British Social Attitudes surveys suggest that a growing number of employees have indeed come to share such views. Posits that this encouraging news for trade unions is somewhat offset by the fact that a growing proportion of employees also believes unions may be too weak to make a difference at the workplace, but if this perception could be overcome then the future for unionism is very encouraging.
Article navigation
1 October 1997
Research Article|
October 01 1997
The future of trade unionism: injustice, identity and attribution Available to Purchase
John Kelly
John Kelly
Department of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, London, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Online ISSN: 1758-7069
Print ISSN: 0142-5455
© MCB UP Limited
1997
Employee Relations: The International Journal (1997) 19 (5): 400–414.
Citation
Kelly J (1997), "The future of trade unionism: injustice, identity and attribution". Employee Relations: The International Journal, Vol. 19 No. 5 pp. 400–414, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/01425459710186296
Download citation file:
Suggested Reading
THE “OLD INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS” AND CORPORATE COMPETITIVENESS: A CANADIAN CASE
Employee Relations: The International Journal (February,1988)
Union duopoly with heterogeneous labour
International Journal of Social Economics (April,2005)
The relationship between legislation and industrial practice: A study of the outcome of trade union recognition
Employee Relations: The International Journal (July,2006)
A call for research on collaboration versus traditional bargaining in labor‐management relationships
International Journal of Conflict Management (November,2006)
The resilience of collective bargaining – a renewed logic for joint regulation?
Employee Relations: The International Journal (February,2019)
Related Chapters
Social Democratic Trade Unions in the Knowledge Economy: Challenges, Pathways and Dilemmas
Social Democracy in the 21st Century
Labor, Globalization and Inequality: Are Trade Unions Still Redistributive?
Comparing European Workers Part B: Policies and Institutions
Neoliberalism or Augmented Pluralism? Defending the Web of Rules in New Zealand, Australia and Ireland
Protecting the Future of Work: New Institutional Arrangements for Safeguarding Labour Standards
Recommended for you
These recommendations are informed by your reading behaviors and indicated interests.
