Edited by Professor Keith Ewing

Published in January 2001

The Employment Relations Act 1999 is the most important piece of trade union legislation for a generation. Included in its terms are procedures for union recognition and representation, a framework of family friendly policies, new protections against unfair dismissal and powers to extend the scope and coverage of employment protection legislation.

This book, prepared by a distinguished team of trade unionists, social scientists and lawyers, offers a unique and timely overview of the legislation. Each essay considers an aspect of the Employment Relations Act, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation. More importantly, the book goes on to ask what more can be done?

By Keith Ewing and Tom Sibley

Published in December 2000

International Trade Union Rights for the New MilleniumFollowing four years of research and consultation, this report highlights the need for those international labour standards concerning freedom of association to be consolidated, simplified and strengthened.

By Mike Clancy and Roger Seifert

Published in November 2000

published in association with the Cambridge Journal of Economics

Published on October 2000

Labour market deregulation is part of the neo-liberal economic experiment that has dominated the political agenda over the past two decades. This agenda has encouraged the growth of the ‘flexible’ labour market and placed at centre stage the concept of the management’s right to manage.
But has this agenda led to improvements in economic efficiency or social justice? According to this report the answer to both must be no. Productive inefficiency often results from managerial inadequacies, the results of which are often reflected in the intensification of work, reduced terms and conditions, redundancies and unemployment. Boosting management’s right to manage not only allows greater scope for these inadequacies but can also make things worse by reducing workplace co-operation and creating conflict.

By Jennifer Eady and Jeremy McMullen QC

Published in September 2000

By Mary Stacey and Andrew Short

Published in August 2000

The 2nd December 2000 will be the fourth anniversary of the coming into force of the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). The DDA was seen as a long overdue measure to give disabled people legally enforceable rights.