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Sam Warner

Who Governs Britain?: Trade Unions, the Conservative Party and the Failure of the Industrial Relations Act 1971

Who Governs Britain?: Trade Unions, the Conservative Party and the Failure of the Industrial Relations Act 1971

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  • More about Who Governs Britain?: Trade Unions, the Conservative Party and the Failure of the Industrial Relations Act 1971

The Conservative government of 1970–1974 attempted to reform industrial relations with the Industrial Relations Act 1971, but it led to a crisis of the British state and ultimately brought down the government. Warner explores the power dynamics, strategic errors, and industrial battles that destroyed this attempt and shape Conservative attitudes towards trade unions to this day.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 25 April 2023
Publisher: Manchester University Press


Rewritten text:

Who governs Britain? delves into the 1970-74 Conservative government's attempt to reform the industrial relations system in the United Kingdom. Aimed at addressing Britain's strike problem and perceived disorder in collective bargaining, the Industrial Relations Act 1971 was introduced as a formal legal framework to counterbalance trade union power. The Act aimed to disengage the state from collective bargaining practices and depoliticize them, instructing trade union leaders and employers to discipline the industry. However, in just three and a half years, the Act played a significant role in exacerbating the crisis of the British state. Industrial unrest engulfed the nation, posing a risk to the rule of law.

Warner examines the power dynamics, strategic errors, and industrial battles that led to the failure of this attempt to tame trade unions and ultimately brought down the government. He explores the lasting impact of these events on Conservative attitudes towards trade unions, shaping their approach to labor relations to this day.

The 1970-74 Conservative government's attempt to reform industrial relations through the Industrial Relations Act 1971 resulted in a crisis that engulfed the British state. The Act's attempt to disengage the state from collective bargaining practices and depoliticize them led to industrial unrest and risked undermining the rule of law. Warner's book explores the power dynamics, strategic errors, and industrial battles that contributed to this failure, as well as their lasting impact on Conservative attitudes towards trade unions.

Weight: 570g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526166012

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