Bargaining for Balance: Union Policy on Work-Life Issues in the United Kingdom

Heery, Edmund; Blunsdon, Betsy; Reed, Ken; Dastmalchian, Ali

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-72927-2_4

Cited by 13 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Trade union involvement in the introduction and/or implementation of WLB measures in the workplace suggests a shift in their role, from traditional forms of wage and wage‐related bargaining, towards information provision and facilitation, or assisting individuals in accessing and taking up policies (Budd and Mumford 2004). It also demonstrates programmatic modernization around the idea of ‘positive flexibility’, as Morris and Pillinger (2007) have demonstrated in relation to WLB development in the public sector, and an accompanying modernization of modes of action, with a shift from distributive to integrative bargaining (Cressey 2002; Heery 2006a,b). An emphasis on gender equality and anti‐discrimination measures, accompanied by internal (organizational) change, underpins this shift (Colling and Dickens 2001; Heery 2006a,b).…”

Section: The Comparative Context: Working Time Regimes and Wlb In mentioning

confidence: 89%

“…It also demonstrates programmatic modernization around the idea of ‘positive flexibility’, as Morris and Pillinger (2007) have demonstrated in relation to WLB development in the public sector, and an accompanying modernization of modes of action, with a shift from distributive to integrative bargaining (Cressey 2002; Heery 2006a,b). An emphasis on gender equality and anti‐discrimination measures, accompanied by internal (organizational) change, underpins this shift (Colling and Dickens 2001; Heery 2006a,b). However, trade unions have struggled to make their voice heard (Demetriades et al.…”

Section: The Comparative Context: Working Time Regimes and Wlb In mentioning

confidence: 89%

“…The trade unions' ability to campaign successfully on WLB issues depended to a large extent on a change in government policy since 1997, with the subsequent enactment of the 1999 Employment Relations Act (see also Heery 2006a). According to Cressey (2002), the additional dimension of legislative promotion of employee‐friendly flexibility provided unions with an opportunity to reframe the terms of the debate, although in practice the government generally prefers a ‘soft’, non‐statutory route to WLB and family‐friendly policies.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More generally, the TUC's approach has necessarily been ad hoc and project‐based (interview with local Unison representative), and thus heavily dependent on locally favourable conditions, in particular, championing by individual managers. Public‐sector employers are felt to be particularly receptive to the equality logic of WLB policies, whereas the private sector has to be convinced on the business case (interview with national policy officer, Unison; see also Heery 2006a). The dominance of the public sector in promoting bargained WLB confirms the weakness of the trade union agenda in the private sector.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trade Unions and Work‐life Balance: Changing Times in France and the UK?

Gregory

Milner

2009

Brit J Industrial Rel

111

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The mixed empirical findings to date have indicated that some, but not all, unions in industrialized countries are actively involved in campaigning and bargaining around work-life balance (WLB) issues, as part of a modernization agenda linked to feminization and to 'positive flexibility'. This article seeks to identify factors that might encourage or inhibit trade unions from involvement in WLB issues, within a cross-national comparative perspective focusing on two countries (France and the UK) that have contrasting working time regimes and approaches to WLB. It draws on original research carried out in two sectors - insurance and social work - in these two countries. The article links the emergence of union WLB programmes and bargaining agendas to gender-equality concerns within the union and to the gender composition of the sector, as well as to the working time regime, including the mode of action, partnership being a significant corollary of WLB campaigning in the UK. We find support for the modernization thesis in the UK, particularly in the public sector, but within severe constraints defined by employer initiative. Copyright (c) Blackwell Publishing Ltd/London School of Economics 2009.

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Section: The Comparative Context: Working Time Regimes and Wlb In mentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: The Comparative Context: Working Time Regimes and Wlb In mentioning

confidence: 89%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Trade Unions and Work‐life Balance: Changing Times in France and the UK?

Gregory

Milner

2009

Brit J Industrial Rel

111

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show abstract

“…This concept places gender at the heart of collective bargaining theory, identifying how bargaining agendas have traditionally excluded equal opportunity items, including family provisions. Heery's (2006b) simple definition of equality bargaining is 'bending the bargaining agenda to serve the needs of women workers' (p. 522). Heery (2006a) found that government policy promoting family provisions created an 'external opportunity structure' for public sector unions to negotiate family provisions, which then flowed on to the private sector (p. 59).…”

Section: Literature Review: Union Involvement In Regulating For Familmentioning

confidence: 99%

A case study of regulatory confusion: Paid parental leave and public servants

Williamson¹

2015

Econ. labour relat. rev.

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Australian policy on paid parental leave (PPL) has been highly controversial in recent years. While a universal PPL scheme become operative in 2011 under the Australian Labor Party, alternative policies continued to be proposed by the leader of the Liberal Party. These ranged from an expanded, comparatively generous PPL scheme, to one which would maintain the status quo, to a scheme with lesser provisions than are currently available. This article examines the PPL policy which would have provided the most generous entitlements to employees, and considers how public servants may have fared had it been introduced. The proposal would have meant that public servants would no longer have been able to access PPL provisions in their industrial instruments, but would only have been entitled to the legislated provisions. This article assesses whether public servants may have gained or lost under such a change, and then considers the broader issue of the most appropriate avenues to regulate public sector employment conditions. While a rare opportunity for enhanced PPL has been lost, this may be the best outcome in ensuring that unions can continue to bargain collectively for this important provision and ongoing improvements to it.

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Working time, work—life balance and inequality

Blyton¹

2011

Reassessing the Employment Relationship

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Bargaining for Balance: Union Policy on Work-Life Issues in the United Kingdom

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Trade Unions and Work‐life Balance: Changing Times in France and the UK?

Trade Unions and Work‐life Balance: Changing Times in France and the UK?

A case study of regulatory confusion: Paid parental leave and public servants

Working time, work—life balance and inequality

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