UNIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE; ED. BY ANIL VERMA

Unions have been among the most salient symbols of pluralism in modern democratic nations. Yet now their influence is waning. What are the reasons for this decline? What, if anything, can unions do to stop the downward trend? And should we care if unions decline? This book contains papers drawn from a variety of countries, which consider the future of unions as a labor and social movement. The focus is truly international and the contributors are all distinguished scholars. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 10 List of Figures......Page 12 Foreword......Page 13 List of Contributors......Page 15 1 Unions in the 21st Century: Prospects for Renewal......Page 24 2 The Future of Trade Unions......Page 40 3 Extended Networks: A Vision for the Next Generation Unions......Page 53 4 Prospects for Union Growth in the United States in the Early 21st Century......Page 67 5 Employment Relations in New Zealand: The Role of the State vis-à-vis the Labour Movement......Page 84 6 Crafting a Statutory Union Recognition Procedure that Works for the UK......Page 98 7 Conservative Legislation and Trade Union Change......Page 114 8 Union-Based Pension Funds and Social Investment: A New Role for Unions in the Economy......Page 128 9 Workers' Knowledge: Untapped Resource in the Labour Movement......Page 140 10 Unions and Procedural Justice: An Alternative to the 'Common Rule'......Page 153 11 Changing Patterns of Unionisation: The North American Experience, 1984–1998......Page 169 12 Trade Union Survival and Women Workers in Australia......Page 188 13 The ICFTU and Trade Unions in the Developing Countries: Solidarity or Dependence?......Page 202 14 Partnership and the Politics of Trade Union Policy Formation in the UK: The Case of the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union......Page 214 15 'Partnership': a Serious Strategy for UK Trade Unions?......Page 228 16 Negating or Affirming the Organising Model? The Case of the Congress of South African Trade Unions......Page 243 17 From Playstations to Workstations: Young Workers and the Experience-Good Model of Union Membership......Page 262 18 Non-Governmental Organisations and Trade Unions – The Case of India......Page 273 Notes......Page 286 A......Page 291 B......Page 292 C......Page 293 D......Page 296 E......Page 297 G......Page 300 I......Page 301 L......Page 304 M......Page 306 O......Page 308 P......Page 309 R......Page 311 S......Page 313 T......Page 315 U......Page 316 W......Page 317 Z......Page 319 "Unions are in decline or stagnation in most parts of the world. Although they have been synonymous with industrialization for more than a hundred years, some observers feel that unions are outmoded institutions whose role has been pre-empted in the 21st century by labour laws, better human resource management and an increasingly educated and mobile workforce. The essays in this book acknowledge these trends but suggest that it may be premature to conclude that the need for collective voice in the workplace and in society has waned completely. On the contrary, empirical evidence points to a persistent need for fairness and voice in the workplace. Unions can build on the foundation by taking advantage of information technology, new national and global networks, and by reaching out to segments of the workforce that have not been targeted adequately by the labour movement in the past."--BOOK JACKET. Unions are in decline or stagnation in most parts of the world. Although they have been synonymous with industrialization for more than a hundred years, some observers feel that unions are outmoded institutions whose role has been pre-empted in the 21st century by labour laws, better human resource management and an increasingly educated and mobile workforce. The essays in this book acknowledge these trends but suggest that it may be pre-mature to conclude that the need for collective voice in the workplace and in society has waned completely. On the contrary, empirical evidence points to a persistent need for fairness and voice in the workplace. Unions can build on this foundation by taking advantage of information technology, new national and global networks, and by reaching out to segments of the workforce that have not been targeted by the labour movement in the past This book presents a series of research essays on the state of unions in many different parts of the world. Written by leading researchers in the field it provides insights into the causes of union decline. But it goes beyond historical analyses to investigate the prospects for the future. Can unions organize in segments of the workforce such as the youth, women, low wage workers and those in the informal sector? Can unions network with other organizations such as NGOs nationally and internationally to gain power and influence? Edited By Anil Verma And Thomas A. Kochan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 263-267) And Index.