This thesis assesses the contribution of union involvement in learning to union 'revitalisation' in the UK. The overall research question addressed in this thesis is 'Have bargaining and organising approaches linked to learning provision contributed to strengthened union presence or 'revitalisation' in the sectors and demographic groups where it is underrepresented and declining (i.e outside the public sector?)' Since 1997, unions in the UK have expanded their level of involvement in issues related to learning, in large part due to increased government funding via the Union Learning Fund and with the statutory recognition of Union Learning Representatives. These developments have taken place at a time when unions have been adopting, to various extents, strategies to counter decline in membership levels and bargaining coverage. Two of the main strategies of this type include an increased emphasis on organising new members and workplaces, and the fostering of cooperative or 'partnership' style collective agreements. These are analysed in detail in this thesis, particularly in terms of how increased union involvement in learning supports and influences such strategies. The empirical dimension of the thesis is largely based on in-depth, qualitative interviews, including five chapters based around case studies of union learning activity that relates to broader union 'revitalisation' strategies. Key findings include that union involvement in learning has contributed somewhat towards increasing levels of membership and building union presence among underrepresented groups of workers, but that the process of integrating learning into collective agreements has been problematic due to ambivalent and often hostile employers, within a context of weak state regulation and statutory support.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:506851 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Mustchin, Stephen |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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