The decline of collective bargaining and trade union recognition in Britain is well documented, and since 1980, the trend has been highlighted by the six Workplace Employment Relations Studies (WERS). These surveys reveal, at the same time, the increasing individualisation of the employment relationship, including the proliferation of more individualistic employee involvement and communications strategies such as attitude surveys and team briefings. Some of the headlines of WERS2011 make stark reading. In 2011, just over one-fifth of all workplaces recognised trade unions of the negotiation of terms and conditions, under one-third of workers belonged to a union, and 80 per cent of managers said they would rather consult direct with employees than with unions. In addition, the presence of trade unions remains polarised, with WERS confirming that British unions are now a rare and endangered species outside of their predominantly public sector habitat. While Consultation at Work by Hall and Purcell was published shortly before the latest WERS evidence, the results highlight the need for an authoritative review of the theory and practice of employee representation in contemporary workplaces. As the authors ask at the outset, “is this now the last chance for collective employment relations?”
The book begins by considering some of the ambiguities concerning the various meanings and forms of consultation, as well as differences in motives, assumptions, expectations and structures. Consultation is then placed in historical context, by reviewing some of key developments of the twentieth century. Having set the scene, the authors then consider the various drivers for consultation, outlining the shifting and often complex motives of employers, trade unions, and governments. Three main motives are identified. First, the efficiency argument views consultation as a means to more cooperative workplace relations. Second, the power-sharing rationale is concerned with addressing the asymmetries of power between management and labour, and has traditionally advocated collective bargaining and notions of industrial democracy. Finally, the third motive is the employee rights rationale, which stresses workplace consultation as a fundamental human right in democratic societies. However, irrespective of the underlying motive, the aim is normally the same: to facilitate meaningful dialogue which improves the quality of employment relations and maximises the interests of both employers and employees.
The book then considers the impact of – and UK government responses to – EU legislation and the European Social Model, given the voluntarist traditions of industrial relations in Britain. It is argued that in general EU legislation has not been enthusiastically embraced by British governments of various political colours, meaning that where regulations – such as the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations of 2004 is – have been adopted it has been in a half-hearted manner. Some quantitative and qualitative evidence is then presented regarding the impact of statutory consultation. The final chapters then consider the practice, dynamics and future of consultation. It is at this point that important implications for the world of practice are highlighted, as the authors unpack some of the characteristics of effective consultation, and also consider why staff councils might atrophy. Drawing upon empirical research, the penultimate chapter illustrates the dynamics of consultation further through several case studies of both failure and success. The final chapter concludes by suggesting that, especially in the private sector and despite their potential limitations, consultation through staff councils may be the last chance for collective employee representation.
A key argument of the book is that we must take the current context of employee representation in Britain seriously in considering appropriate responses. Hall and Purcell suggest that it is easy to dismiss consultation as a relatively dilute and toothless form of participation, compared with more overtly power-centred notions such as collective bargaining, joint regulation and co-determination. Consultation, on the other hand, is concerned with facilitating dialogue rather than joint decision-making, and is therefore not necessarily a replacement for collective bargaining. For critics of non-union employee representation this brings significant risks of becoming little more than a sham. However, Hall and Purcell suggest we must accept that collectivism is no longer just about trade unions and collective bargaining, and that a shift from negotiation to consultation has been occurring in the UK for many years. Accepting and developing both union and non-union forms of consultation may be the last opportunity for collectivism. Reflecting their pluralist standpoint, they do not believe that the putative business case for consultation alone is necessarily sufficient to encourage employers to take the initiative in developing and sustaining effective consultation. HR practitioners might be more attracted by more fashionable employee engagement and internal communications techniques, such as the use of social media, rather than the prospect of instigating a staff council. In addition, and as the extensive research evidence on workplace partnerships has demonstrated, effective and robust consultation can prove extremely challenging for both management and employee representatives not used to operating within a consultative decision making framework. Drawing on some comparative analysis of the European experience, Hall and Purcell believe that state encouragement and regulation is likely to be central to stimulating a new era of meaningful collective consultation in British workplaces, and in addressing the representation gap.
However, if this really is the last chance of reviving collective employment relations, the apparent loss of interest at a national level in workplace partnership is worrying, replaced in many ways by a more individualistic policy debate around employee engagement, and a government evidently wary of European employment regulation. The partnership debate of the 1990s, at the very least, helped to keep collective employment relations and workplace consultation on the UK policy agenda. Fortunately, Hall and Purcell do not limit their analysis to a critique of the current challenges of collective consultation, but also provide a range of thoughts regarding how the situation might be improved.
While Consultation at Work will surely become essential reading for scholars of employment relations and HRM, the accessible style also means it should also be of interest to policymakers, HR specialists, and trade unionists with an interest in the theory and practice of employee voice, representation and engagement.
