The system of worker representation in many countries today is comprised of multiple institutions: trade unions, statutory works councils, employer-sponsored participation and civil society organizations that speak on behalf of particular groups in the workforce or on particular issues. The purpose of this article is to propose an evaluation framework that can be applied to all of the institutions of representation within this multiform system. Application of the framework, using secondary evidence from the United Kingdom, suggests that trade unions are the most effective institution of worker representation but that they can operate successfully in conjunction with other forms. A multiform system of worker representation can advance the interests of people at work, provided a revitalized trade union movement lies at its heart.
Adams, R.J. ( 1995) ‘A Pernicious Euphoria: 50 Years of Wagnerism in Canada’, Canadian Labour & Employment Law Journal3(3-4): 21-55.
2.
Addison, J.T. ( 2005) ‘The Determinants of Firm Performance: Unions, Works Councils and Employee Involvement/High Performance Work Practices’, Scottish Journal of Political Economy52(3): 406-50.
3.
Arpaia, A. and Pichelmann, K. ( 2008) ‘Falling Wage Shares: A Common Trend?’, Dimensions of Inequality in the EU, pp. 28-41. Vienna: Österreichische Nationalbank.
4.
Blanchflower, D.G. and Bryson, A.(2009) ‘Trade Union Decline and the Economics of the Workplace’ , in W. Brown, A. Bryson, J. Forth and K. Whitfield (eds) The Evolution of the Modern Workplace, pp. 48-73. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
5.
Blanchflower, D.G., Bryson, A. and Forth, J. ( 2007) ‘Workplace Industrial Relations in Britain: 1984-2004’ , Industrial Relations Journal38(4): 285-302.
6.
Bryson, A., Cappellari, L. and Lucifora, C. ( 2004) ‘Does Union Membership Really Reduce Job Satisfaction?’ , British Journal of Industrial Relations42(3): 439-60.
7.
Bryson, A. and Freeman, R.B. ( 2007) ‘What Voice do British Workers Want?’, in R. B. Freeman, P. Boxall and P. Haynes (eds) What Workers Say: Employee Voice in the Anglo-American Workplace, pp. 72-96. Ithaca, NY and London: ILR Press.
8.
Budd, J. ( 2007) ‘The Effect of Unions on Employee Benefits and Non-wage Compensation: Monopoly Power, Collective Voice and Facilitation’, in J. T. Bennett and B. E. Kaufman (eds) What Do Unions Do?: A Twenty Year Perspective , pp. 160-92. New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers.
9.
Charlwood, A. and Forth, J. (2009) ‘Employee Representation’, in W. Brown, A. Bryson, J. Forth and K. Whitfield (eds) The Evolution of the Modern Workplace, pp. 74-96. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
10.
Charlwood, A. and Terry, M. ( 2007) ‘21st-century Models of Employee Representation: Structures, Processes and Outcomes’, Industrial Relations Journal38(4): 320-337.
11.
Colgan, F. ( 2000) ‘Recognising the Lesbian and Gay Constituency in UK Trade Unions: Moving Forward in UNISON’, Industrial Relations Journal30(3): 444-63.
12.
Colgan, F. and Ledwith, S. ( 2002) ‘Gender, Diversity and Mobilization in UK Trade Unions’, in F. Colgan and S. Ledwith (eds) Gender, Diversity and Trade Unions, pp. 154-85. London: Routledge .
13.
Colgan, F., Creegan, C., McKearney, A. and Wright, T. ( 2007) ‘Equality and Diversity Policies and Practices at Work: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Workers’, Equal Opportunities International26(3): 590-609.
14.
Colling, T. and Dickens, L. ( 1989) Equality Bargaining: Why Not?Manchester : Equal Opportunities Commission.
15.
Cox, A., Zagelmayer, S. and Marchington, M. ( 2006) ‘Embedding Employee Involvement and Participation at Work’, Human Resource Management Journal16(3): 250-67.
16.
Crain, M. ( 2007) ‘Sex Discrimination as Collective Harm’, in D. S. Cobble (ed.) The Sex of Class, pp. 99-116. Ithaca, NY and London: ILR Press.
17.
Dietz, G., Wilkinson, A. and Redman, T.(2009) ‘Involvement and Participation’, in A. Wilkinson, N. Bacon, T. Redman and S. Snell (eds) The Sage Handbook of Human Resource Management, pp. 245-68. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
18.
Edwards, C. and Heery, E. ( 1989) Management Control and Union Power: A Study of Labour Relations in Coalmining. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
19.
Edwards, P.K. ( 1986) Conflict at Work. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
20.
Fine, J. ( 2007) ‘A Marriage Made in Heaven?: Mismatches and Misunderstandings between Worker Centres and Unions’, British Journal of Industrial Relations45(2): 335-60.
21.
Fitzgerald, I. and Hardy, J.(2010) ‘Thinking Outside the Box?: Trade Union Organizing Strategies and Polish Migrant Workers in the United Kingdom’, British Journal of Industrial Relations48(1): 131-50.
22.
Freeman, R.B. ( 2005) ‘Fighting for Other Folks’ Wages: The Logic and Illogic of Living Wage Campaigns’, Industrial Relations44(1): 14-31.
23.
Freeman, R.B., Boxall, P. and Haynes, P. ( 2007) What Workers Say: Employee Voice in the Anglo-American Workplace. Ithaca, NY and London: ILR Press.
24.
Freeman, R. B., Hersch, J. and Mishel, L. (eds) ( 2005) Emerging Labor Market Institutions for the Twenty-first Century. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
25.
Green, F. ( 2006) Demanding Work. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
26.
Green, F. and Whitfield, K.(2009) ‘Employees’ Experience of Work’, in W. Brown, A. Bryson, J. Forth and K. Whitfield (eds) The Evolution of the Modern Workplace, pp. 201-29. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
27.
Gregory, A. and Milner, S. (2009) ‘Trade Unions and Work-Life Balance: Changing Times in France and the UK?’ , British Journal of Industrial Relations47(1): 122-46.
28.
Gumbrell-McCormick, R. and Hyman, R. (2010) ‘Works Councils : The European Model of Industrial Democracy?’ , in A. Wilkinson, P. Gollan, M. Marchington and D. Lewin (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations, pp. 286-314. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
29.
Healy, G. and Oikelome, F. ( 2007) ‘Equality and Diversity Actors: A Challenge to Traditional Industrial Relations’, Equal Opportunities International26(1): 44-65.
30.
Heery, E. ( 2006) ‘Bargaining for Balance: Trade Union Policy on Work-Life Issues in the United Kingdom’, in P. Blyton, B. Blundon, K. Reed and A. Dastmalchian (eds) Work-Life Integration: International Perspectives on the Balancing of Multiple Roles. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
31.
Heery, E. ( 2009) ‘Worker Voice and Reward Management’, in G. White and J. Druker (eds) Reward Management: A Critical Text, 2nd edn. London: Routledge .
32.
Heery, E. and Conley, H. ( 2007) ‘Frame Extension in a Mature Social Movement: British Trade Unions and Part-time Work’, 1976-2002’, Journal of Industrial Relations49(1): 5-29.
33.
Heery, E., Bacon, N., Blyton, P. and Fiorito, J. ( 2008) ‘Introduction: The Field of Industrial Relations’ , in P. Blyton, N. Bacon, J. Fiorito and E. Heery (eds) The Sage Handbook of Industrial Relations, pp. 1-32. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
34.
Heery, E., Healy, G. and Taylor, P. ( 2004) ‘Representation at Work: Themes and Issues’ , in G. Healy, E. Heery, P. Taylor and W. Brown (eds) The Future of Worker Representation , pp. 1-36. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
35.
Holgate, J. ( 2009) ‘Contested Terrain: London’s Living Wage Campaign and the Tensions between Community and Union Organizing’, in J. McBride and I. Greenwood (eds) Community Unionism: A Comparative Analysis of Concepts and Contexts. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
36.
Holgate, J., Hebson, G. and McBride, A. ( 2006) ‘Why Gender and ‘‘Difference’’ Matters: A Critical Appraisal of Industrial Relations Research’, Industrial Relations Journal37(4): 310-28.
37.
Howell, C. ( 1996) ‘Women as the Paradigmatic Trade Unionists? New Work, New Workers and New Trade Union Strategies in Conservative Britain’ , Economic and Industrial Democracy17: 511-43.
38.
Hyman, R. ( 1997) ‘The Future of Employee Representation’, British Journal of Industrial Relations35(3): 309-31.
39.
Jenkins, J. and Blyton, P. ( 2008) ‘Works Councils’, in P. Blyton, N. Bacon, J. Fiorito and E. Heery (eds) The Sage Handbook of Industrial Relations, pp. 346-57. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
40.
Kaufman, B.E. and Taras, D.G.(2010) ‘Employee Participation through Non-union Forms of Participation’ , in A. Wilkinson, P. Gollan, M. Marchington and D. Lewin (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations, pp. 258-87. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
41.
Kelly, J. ( 2004) ‘Social Partnership Agreements in Britain: Labor Cooperation and Compliance’, Industrial Relations43(1): 267-92.
42.
Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix, G. and Oxenbridge, S. ( 2006) Inside the Workplace: First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. London: Routledge.
43.
Kessler, I. (2010) ‘Financial Participation’, in A. Wilkinson, P. Gollan, M. Marchington and D. Lewin (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations , pp. 338-57. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
44.
Kochan, T., Eaton, A.E., McKersie, R.B. and Adler, P.S. ( 2009) Healing Together: The Labor-Management Partnership at Kaiser Permanente. Ithaca, NY and London: ILR Press.
45.
Lyddon, D.(2009) ‘Strikes’, in G. Daniels and J. McIlroy (eds) Trade Unions in a Neoliberal World, pp. 316-41. London: Routledge.
46.
McGovern, P., Hill, S., Mills, C. and White, M. ( 2007) Market, Class and Employment. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
47.
McIlroy, J. ( 2010) ‘A Brief History of British Trade Unions and Neoliberalism in the Age of New Labour’, in G. Daniels and J. McIlroy (eds) Trade Unions in a Neoliberal World, pp. 63-97. London, Routledge.
48.
Marchington, M. ( 2007) ‘Employee Voice Systems’, in P. Boxall, J. Purcell and P. Wright (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Human Resource Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
49.
Marginson, P. and Sisson, K. ( 2004) European Integration and Industrial Relations: Multi-level Governance in the Making. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
50.
Markey, R., Balnave, R. and Patmore, G. (2010) ‘Worker Directors and Worker Ownership/ Cooperatives’, in A. Wilkinson, P. Gollan, M. Marchington and D. Lewin (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations , pp. 237-57. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
51.
Martin, R. ( 1992) Bargaining Power. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
52.
Metcalf, D. ( 2005) ‘Trade Unions: Resurgence or Perdition?’, in S. Fernie and D. Metcalf (eds) Trade Unions: Resurgence or Demise?London: Routledge.
53.
Michelson, G., Jamieson, S. and Burgess, J. (eds) ( 2008) New Employment Actors: Developments from Australia. Bern: Peter Lang.
54.
Minford, P. ( 1985) ‘Trade Unions Destroy a Million Jobs’, in W. E. J. McCarthy (ed.) Trade Unions, pp. 365-75. Harmondsworth: Penguin .
55.
O’Doherty, D. and Willmott, H. ( 2009) ‘The Decline of Labour Process Analysis and the Future Sociology of Work’, Sociology43(5): 931-51.
56.
Pendleton, A., Whitfield, K. and Bryson, A.(2009) ‘The Changing Use of Contingent Pay at the Modern British Workplace’ , in W. Brown, A. Bryson, J. Forth and K. Whitfield (eds) The Evolution of the Modern Workplace, pp. 256-84. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
57.
Pollert, A. and Charlwood, A.(2009) ‘The Vulnerable Worker in Britain and Problems at Work’ , Work, Employment and Society23(2): 343-62.
58.
Pollin, R., Brenner, M., Wicks-Lim, J. and Luce, S. ( 2008) A Measure of Fairness: The Economics of Living Wages and Minimum Wages in the United States. Ithaca, NY and London : ILR Press.
59.
Runciman, W.G. ( 1983) A Treatise on Social Theory. Volume 1: The Methodology of Social Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
60.
Simms, M. and Charlwood, A. ( 2010) ‘Trade Unions: Power and Influence in a Changed Context’ , in T. Colling and M. Terry (eds) Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice, 3rd edn. pp. 125-48. Chichester: Wiley.
61.
Simms, M. and Holgate, J. ( 2010) ‘TUC Organizing Academy 10 Years On: What Has Been the Impact on British Unions?’, International Journal of Human Resource Management21(1-3): 355-70
62.
Strauss, G. ( 1998) ‘Collective Bargaining, Unions and Participation’ , in F. Heller, E. Pusic, G. Strauss and B. Wilpert (eds) Organizational Participation: Myth and Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
63.
Tattersall, A. ( 2005) ‘There is Power in Coalition: A Framework for Assessing How and When Union-Community Coalitions are Effective and Enhance Union Power’ , Labour and Industry16(2): 97-112.
64.
Terry, M. ( 2010) ‘Employee Representation’, in T. Colling and M. Terry (eds) Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice, 3rd edn. pp. 275-97. Chichester: Wiley.
65.
Troy, L. ( 1999) Beyond Unions and Collective Bargaining. Armonk NY: M. E. Sharpe.
66.
Wacjman, J. ( 2000) ‘Feminism Facing Industrial Relations’, British Journal of Industrial Relations38(2): 183-201.
67.
Walsh, J. ( 2007) ‘Equality and Diversity in British Workplaces: The 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey’, Industrial Relations Journal38(4): 303-19.
68.
Wilkinson, R. and Pickett, K. ( 2010) The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone , revised edn. London: Penguin.
69.
Williams, S., Abbott, B. and Heery, E. (forthcoming) ‘New and Emerging Actors in Employment Relations: Civil Society Organizations’ , in K. Townsend and A. Wilkinson (eds) The Edward Elgar Research Handbook on Work and Employment Relations. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
70.
Wood, S. and Bryson, A. (2009) ‘High Involvement Management’, in W. Brown, A. Bryson, J. Forth and K. Whitfield (eds) The Evolution of the Modern Workplace, pp. 151-75. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
71.
Wood, S. ( 2010) ‘High Involvement Management and Performance’ , in A. Wilkinson, P. J. Gollan, M. Marchington and D. Lewin (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations, pp. 407-26. Oxford: Oxford University.
