An overview of Bill McCarthy's academic and political engagement with industrial relations

This article reviews Lord (Bill) McCarthy's contributions to industrial relations research and his related engagement with national policy making over the period 1964 to 1997. In this process the academics and academic institutions which were integral to Bill's work are also noted as is Bill's development as one of Britain's leading arbitrators. An attempt is also made to capture some of the character of Bill's work including his sometimes combative approach to discussions in seminars and other forums. His determination to contribute work which both made a difference and aided the Labour Movement is also stressed. Last, the six companion pieces, all written by people who knew Bill personally but who explore different aspects of his work, are briefly introduced

The Devolution of Bargaining Levels and Responsibilities in the TCWU. 1965-75

Focuses on the devolution of bargaining levels and responsibilities in the Transport and General Workers Union in Great Britain from 1965 to 1975. Changes in lay participation; Movement from national level to lower level bargaining; Changes in the scope and relevance of lower level bargaining

Trade Union Merger Strategies: Purpose, Process, and Performance

As Trade Union membership has declined, merger and amalgamation have been prominent features in strategies of revitalization. Yet, there is very little systematic, empirical research into their effects on unions or the wider union movement. This ground-breaking study fills this gap with its in-depth analysis of British unions' mergers since 1978

Negotiating Amalgamations: Territorial and Political Consolidation and Administrative Reform in Public Sector Service Unions in the UK

Since 1990 there has been a series of union amalgamations among Britain’s public-sector unions. This study examines three amalgamations and one aborted amalgamation. Each was initiated by union leaders reacting to government-sponsored reforms of the public sector, and all involved unions with either defensive or consolidatory merger motivations. The complex negotiations are presented as resolving issues of political, democratic and administrative concerns. It is argued that the balance of power on critical constitutional issues lay with the leaders of the consolidatory unions, particularly the dominant activist groups within such unions. As a consequence, success in amalgamation negotiations lay in satisfying such group’s interests in sustaining the existing political ethos and democratic system, while securing agreement on the desired administrative reforms

Changing the Merger Strategies of Trade Unions. Case Study.

Research at Oxford, conducted by Roger Undy, assessed the efficacy of 68 transfers and 45 amalgamations of British trade unions and deeply affected the merger strategies of three unions: the IPMS (Institute of Professional, Managers and Specialists); UNIFI (Banking and Finance Union); and PTC (Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union). Each of these unions participated in the research and commissioned associated studies which examined, inter-alia, the relative advantage of the status quo as against a merger; the merits of different merger partners; and the post-merger organization of the new union. By 2012, these unions, assisted by this research, had radically changed their job territories, and internal organization, via a series of mergers. Subsequently, Unionen (Sweden‟s largest union) made improvements in its services, benefits, and bargaining power thanks to Undy‟s research. This impact continues to take effect across other unions, demonstrating the progressive and cumulative effect, and the national and international reach, of the impact of this research