Gli effetti della liberalizzazione del trasporto pubblico locale sulle relazioni industriali: Regno Unito e Italia a confronto

2009 ◽  
pp. 337-364
Author(s):  
Hamish Mathieson ◽  
Roberto Pedersini
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
The Uk

- This article examines the extent to which a number of hypothesised consequences for industrial relations in the context of liberalisation have been realised, such as a strengthening of managerial prerogatives and unilateral actions, the emergence of specific competitive pressures on labour costs, work flexibility and worker protections, the fragmentation of collective bargaining with an emphasis on company-level regulation. The sector selected is local public transport and in particular the bus industry. In the article the ownership structure of the bus industry, its regulatory and labour relations features are discussed in the context of governmentinitiated reforms in the UK and Italy. Evidence from empirical research conducted in both countries will then be presented and discussed in the conclusions.Key words: Liberalisation, Public services, Local public transport, Industrial relations, United Kingdom, Italy.Parole chiave: Liberalizzazione, Servizi pubblici, Trasporto pubblico locale, Relazioni industriali, Regno Unito, Italia.

scholarly journals From Rigid to Flexible Employment Practices in UK Commercial Television: a Case of Government Led Reform

1970 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Trevor Campling
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Employee Morale ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Commercial Television ◽  
Employment Practices ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
Flexible Employment ◽  
Perceived Pressure ◽  
The Impact

The article locates the forces precipitating the radical changes in employment practices in British Commercial Television since the mid 1980s and proceeds to discuss the various dintensions of these employment reforms jron1 a "flexible firm" perspective. It is argued that perceived pressure from government, rather than jron1 the product market, triggered the unilateral imposition by management of "flexible" employment practices. In addition, key industrial events in British comnzercial television, such as the dissolution of national multi-employer collective bargaining arrangenzents and the strike and lockout at TVam, combined with the numerous changes to national labour relations legislation, shifted the balance of industrial power to management. This allowed "flexible" practices to be introduced nzore rapidly and without disruptive opposition from the broadcasting unions. Whilst the new "flexible" employment arrangetnents have reduced labour costs dramatically in the short term, some of the practices are inconsistent, resulting in employee morale and product quality problems. With governments in New Zealand and Australia pursuing a variety of policies to inject greater "flexibility" and less regulation into product markets, labour I markets and work places, they should pay close attention to the lessons that can be learnt from the British commercial television experience. The impact upon productivity, work practices, and employment levels of politically instigated employmnent change is of importance to an industry; facing such circumstances. It is also contributes to the wider debate on the origins and nature of employment flexibility and changes in industrial relations.

scholarly journals Pre-Strike Ballots and Collective Bargaining: The Impact of Quorum and Ballot Mode Requirements on Access to Lawful Industrial Action

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-376
Author(s):  
Breen Creighton ◽  
Catrina Denvir ◽  
Richard Johnstone ◽  
Shae McCrystal ◽  
Alice Orchiston
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Qualitative Empirical Research ◽  
Industrial Action ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Key Features ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In 2016, the UK Parliament passed the Trade Union Act 2016 (TU Act 2016), which introduced new quorum and approval requirements for pre-strike ballots. In Australia, mandatory pre-strike ballots, including a quorum requirement, were first introduced in 2006. This article explains the key features of the Australian pre-strike ballot system and reports on quantitative and qualitative empirical research findings on the operation of the ballots process to analyse the majority and quorum requirements, mode of ballot (postal, attendance or electronic) and choice of ballot agent. Quorum is the biggest obstacle to Australian unions authorising strike action under the pre-strike ballot rules, and postal ballots fail to reach quorum at significantly higher rates than do attendance ballots. By introducing quorums and retaining the requirement that all pre-strike ballots must be conducted by post, the TU Act 2016 endorsed the two factors under the Australian regime most likely to impede the authorisation of strike action in a pre-strike ballot.

scholarly journals Frontier of control struggles in British and Irish public transport

2020 ◽  
pp. 095968012092913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Hughes ◽  
Tony Dobbins
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Comparative Research ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Managerial Ability ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Irish Case ◽  
Control Patterns ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Cross National

Few contemporary studies of change in industrial relations use Carter Goodrich’s classic concept of the ‘frontier of control’ (FoC), especially in cross-national comparative research. Our study maps FoC struggles in two public transport organizations in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Qualitative methods generate significant insights into complex day-to-day workplace control patterns in these two cases. Despite changes in the frontier of control in both organizations over time, it is observed that employment relations in the Irish case are more cooperative than in the British. The frontier of control still matters, because workplace control regimes shape managerial ability to secure worker consent and are always potentially contestable terrains.

Background and rationale of collective bargaining around work-family issues in Italy

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egidio Riva
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Available Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline and assess the role of industrial relations in introducing work-family-related policies and investigate the drivers, nature and scope of contract provisions that were bargained in the following domains: flexible working arrangements, leave schemes, care services and other supportive arrangements. Analyses draw on information filed in a unique and restricted access repository, the SEcond-level Collective Bargaining Observatory (OCSEL) held by Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL), one of the major trade union organizations in Italy. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents and examines, by means of descriptive statistics and content analysis, available information on 285 company-level agreements around work-family-related issues that were signed in Italy between January 2012 and December 2015, in the aftermath of the great recession. Findings Work-family issues do not seem to be a major bargaining concern. The availability of specific arrangements is mostly limited to the domain of working time flexibility and it is not quite innovative in its contents. Besides, there is little evidence that the mutual gains rationale is embedded in collective bargaining in the field. However, mature and well-established labour relations result in more innovative and strategic company-level bargaining that is also conducive to work-family-related arrangements. Research limitations/implications The sample is not representative. Thus, the results obtained in this study cannot be extended to make predictions and conclusions about the population of collective agreements negotiated and signed in Italian companies in the period under scrutiny. Originality/value Research on the industrial relations context that lies behind the design and implementation of work-family workplace arrangements is still limited. Furthermore, the evidence is inconclusive. This manuscript intends to address this research gap and provide a much more nuanced understanding.

scholarly journals Diverging Trajectories: Economic Rebalancing and Labour Policies in China

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 105-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boy Lüthje
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
Labour Management

This paper develops a new approach to analyse labour relations at the level of companies, industries, and regions in China. Referring to Western and Chinese labour sociology and industrial relations theory, the author applies the concept of “regimes of production” to the context of China's emerging capitalism. This article focuses on China's modern core manufacturing industries (i.e. steel, chemical, auto, electronics, and textile and garment); it explores regimes of production in major corporations and new forms of labour-management cooperation, the growing inequality and fragmentation of labour policies within the modern sectors of the Chinese economy, consequences for further reform regarding labour standards, collective bargaining, and workers’ participation.

scholarly journals Award, Agreement or Nothing? A Review of the Impact of S132(a) of the Labour Relations Act 1987 on Collective Bargaining

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Harbridge ◽  
Stuart McCaw
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Collective Agreement ◽  
Court System ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Court Of Appeal

The on-going saga of the G.N. Hale redundancy dispute appears now to have run its course. From grievance committee, to the Labour Court, to the Court of Appeal, and back to the Labour Court, the case has attracted considerable attention - from the media and naturally from industrial relations practitioners, eager to learn the view of the New Zealand court system on the vexed matter of redundancy compensation. In the most recent Labour Coun decision on Hale (WLC89/90), Goddard C J held that while the employer was able to prove that the worker was genuinely made redundant the dismissal was unjustifiable because "the circumstances called for the payment of compensation; none was paid; and the amount that was offered and refused was fixed by unilateral decision of the employer and was inadequate". The effect of this decision is profound. Employers planning to make employees redundant have a new set of requirements to meet before their actions can be taken as justifiable. While it will remain the case that there is no right to compensation for a dismissal on the grounds of redundancy unless that right is conferred by a redundancy agreement or by an award or collective agreement, there may still be a right to compensation if the dismissal, although genuinely on the grounds of redundancy, is unjustifiable and thereby gives rise to a successful personal grievance. An employer will now need to focus on the circumstances of the redundancy to detetuaine whether it calls for compensation and where it does, the employer will need to offer, and have accepted, compensation that is both adequate and negotiated.

scholarly journals The industrial relations chameleon: collective bargaining in the facility management business

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Godino ◽  
Oscar Molina
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThe paper aims to analyze collective bargaining in the facility management business of these six countries to explore similarities and differences between them. The analysis serves to test the differential impact of the national institutional setting on the protection provided by collective agreements to facility management workers.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a case study methodology to approach a facility management multinational company providing services in six European countries (France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK) that represent different industrial relations systems with variance in key dimensions of collective bargaining, including its structure, coverage and extension of agreements.FindingsThe extension of the facility management business model has not always adopted a high-road strategy aimed at enhancing the quality and efficiency through the integrated management and delivery of services, which is expected to positively impact employment conditions. Rather, it has, in many cases, been a deliberate, low-road attempt to undercut working standards, taking advantage of the multiple services provided by the company in a context of growing de-centralization in collective bargaining. The results point to an important role of industrial relations institutions in shaping facility management strategies and outcomes.Originality/valueSimilar to other forms of outsourcing, facility management leads to fragmented employment relations. However, the concentration of outsourced workers under the same supplier organization introduces opportunities to ensure the protection of workers, depending on the adoption of a high- or low-road competitive strategy. This paper provides for the first time comparative evidence about industrial relations in facility management businesses, a largely under-researched area.

scholarly journals Procedure of Issuing Religious Divorce and Resolving Matrimonial Disputes at Sharīʿah Councils in the uk

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Rafidah Mohamad Cusairi ◽  
Mahdi Zahraa
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Family Law ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Relative Success ◽  
Empirical Research Methods ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Civil Courts

Abstract The unavailability of civil courts to hear cases relating to Muslim family law and other related matters persuaded community leaders and religious scholars in the United Kingdom to establish several Sharīʿah councils. This article explores the role played by these councils in resolving matrimonial disputes, especially the process and procedure of issuing an Islamic divorce. Library and empirical research methods were employed. Three main uk Sharīʿah councils were visited wherein mediation and arbitration sessions, as well as monthly meetings, were observed to examine how disputes are handled and decisions made. The study leads to several findings. Mediation and arbitration are the main methods used in the process, and despite the relative success of Sharīʿah councils, they face challenges resulting from the dichotomy and overlapping jurisdictions of Islamic and English family law and the non-alignment of divorce issued by uk courts and religious divorce.

Recent Industrial Relations Developments in the United Kingdom: Continuity and Change under New Labour 1997-2005

2006 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Nash
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
New Labour ◽  
Labour Government ◽  
International Context ◽  
Continuity And Change ◽  
The Past ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
The Uk

This article reviews the achievements of the first two terms of the New Labour government in the UK over the period 1997-2005. It analyses the legislative programme in the areas of individual and collective employment regulation and the promotion of partnership. The article argues that whilst there have been developments in the areas of extending employee protections and granting unions a statutory recognition procedure, much of the legislative framework of the previous Conservative administrations has remained unchanged. The achievements of the Labour government are placed in an international context and the relative merits of the ‘Europeanization’ and ‘Americanization’ theses are explored. The article concludes with the assessment that far from marking a radical break with the past, Labour’s Industrial Relations programme lacks consistency and coherence.

scholarly journals New Zealand's Collective Employment Contracts: Update November 1992

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Harbridge
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Individual Rights ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Direct Corollary ◽  
Public Record

The Employment Contracts Act 1991 contains a very different thrust than that of New Zealand's earlier industrial relations legislation. That thrust is directed at the decollectivisation of the labour relations system, encouraging enterprise bargaining over multi-employer bargaining, and promoting individual rights as equal to those of any collective. A direct corollary of these policies is reflected in the decision to keep no public record of collective bargains. Confidentiality of settlement outcomes has become an important aspect of negotiations. While Government policy has determined that there will be no public record of collective bargains, it has decided that, for "analytical and research" purposes, employers who enter into collective employment contracts that cover 20 or more staff should forward copies of those contracts to the Secretary of Labour. No such obligation rests with unions or other employee organisations who enter into contracts. The absence of a comprehensive public record of collective bargaining has made it very difficult to ascertain the effects of the legislation, but then, that is something that can be used to advantage by those who support the Act.

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