Thatcher And Industrial Relations: Aims And Legislation

Question 1

Aim: what did Thatcher think regarding prior approaches and laws for Industrial Relations ?

Answer 1

• they had been ‘abused to protect restrictive practices and over manning, to underpin strikes, and to coerce workers into joining unions’

Question 2

Aim: How did Thatcher view the power of the unions and what would solving this theoretically do

Answer 2

• Union power made Britian uncompetitive by increasing labour cost and restrictive practices meant that business was lost to more efficient companies overseas
• jobs would become available once British industry adjusted to market conditions and unions lost their power to control labour conditions

Question 3

What did Thatcher learn from a prior approach of Heath ?

Answer 3

The failings of the industrial relations Act 1971
- in contrast Thatcher would adopt a piecemeal strategy introducing restrictive measures stage by stage
- This would limit mobilisation/ divide opposition to a single act unlike the all at once approach of Heath

Question 4

What three Acts did Thatcher put in place to combat the

Answer 4

Employment Act 1980
- outlawed secondary picketing and increased the rights of employees who refused to join a union + money became available to encourage unions to hold secret ballots
Employment Act 1982
- restricted sympathy strikes and allowed closed shops only if a ballot showed 85% support, anyone sacked for not joining a union was entitled to compensation at a high rate
Trade Union Act 1984
- Required unions to hold secret ballots of their members before launching industrial action

Question 5

What is meant by the term closed shop ?

Answer 5

Compulsory membership of a trade Union
- the Employment Act 1982 limited the availability of this to be put in place

Question 6

What was the impact of the Acts?

Answer 6

Days lost to strikes fell considerably as a result from 1984-85 with a low of 1,903,000 by 990

Question 7

What explains the decreased days lost to strikes ?

Answer 7

• Government legislation
• High levels of unemployment deterred strike action as many feared by easily replaced by the growing number reaching 3,346,000 in 1985
• Thatchers economic and social policies accelerated change rhat had affected trade unions causing membership to significantly fall making it harder to mobalise strike action (membership fell by close to 4 million between 1979-90)