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Initial Responses to the Statutory Recognition Provisions of the Employment Relations Act 1999
Author(s) -
Oxenbridge Sarah,
Brown William,
Deakin Simon,
Pratten Cliff
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8543.00274
Subject(s) - statutory law , industrial relations , trade union , representation (politics) , business , collective bargaining , labour economics , political science , labor relations , law and economics , law , economics , politics
We report how trade unions and employers initially reacted to the introduction of the statutory recognition procedure in the Employment Relations Act 1999 (ERA). Interview data indicate that the ERA and the drift of EU influence have acted to shift employer attitudes towards greater approval of unions and have accelerated the rate at which employers are redesigning their relationships with unions. Although they are restricting unions’ influence over traditional issues such as pay‐setting, employers are increasingly seeking their assistance in implementing organizational changes. We explore the impact of these developments on union activity and on collective representation more broadly.