Employer Hostility to Union Organising in the UK
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Date
2002Author
Dundon, Tony
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T. Dundon, 2002, Employer Hostility to Union Organising in the UK, Industrial Relations Journal, Vol. 33 (3), pp 234-45
Abstract
This paper presents empirical evidence about the shape and pattern of non-union employer strategies to remain union free. The data are collected from seven case studies across different industrial sectors and organisational sizes in Britain. Following a brief critique of typologies of union avoidance, the evidence suggests the ¿configuration¿ of anti-union approaches involves an uneven and at times contradictory interaction of context-specific variables. Three mutually inclusive factors that influence employer behaviour are identified: structural, ideological and cultural dimensions. It is argued that these represent a deeper understanding of employer hostility towards unions than existing employment relationship classifications. The utility of non-union typologies and the prospects for union mobilisation are considered in the light of these findings