The New Industrial Relations *

The ‘new industrial relations’ seeks a more decentralised approach which emphasises the importance of enterprise‐level agreements between management and the workforce. While some of the more radical proponents seek to weaken the power of trade unions and the arbitration tribunals, others are concerned to achieve greater flexibility within the current centralised system. There is, in fact, a good deal of common ground among those advocating workplace reform among leading union and employer bodies. Yet many managers remain ill‐prepared for changes which involve more direct consultation and negotiation with the workforce.