Work-based learning as expressed in national qualifications frameworks is discussed within the theoretical context of Foucault's notion of discipline. Argues that the management of worker subjectivity is an essential element of the governmentality of organizations. (SK)

Discusses increasing labor problems in the U.S. Postal Service, despite attempts to change the organizational culture. (JOW)

Includes "Labor History, Industrial Relations, and the Crisis of American Labor" (Brody); "Reckoning with Company Unions: The Case of Thompson Products, 1934-1964" (Jacoby); "Managers and Nonunion Workers in the Rubber Industry: Union Avoidance Strategies in the 1930s" (Nelson); and "'Light Manufacturing': The…

Discusses why it is difficult to sustain employee involvement (EI) processes and examines strategies for renewing EI efforts that appear to be fading. (JOW)

This article draws on work carried out in a British brewery, refutes the claim that the recession has made trade unions irrelevant to managerial concerns, and argues that cohesive, factor-based shop steward organization can resist a management onslaught. (Author/CT)

In this article an account is given of work undertaken by an internal organization development (OD) unit within the United Kingdom's National Health Service, in the area of joint consultation within a health authority. Some thoughts are also presented on the relationship between OD practice and the field of industrial relations. (SSH)

Describes the effects of new technology on industrial relations in the United Kingdom. Includes a diversity of approaches and a complex picture of successes and failures. Concludes that new technology and industrial relations have rarely been dealt with strategically by UK managements. (JOW)

Includes "World Industry on the Move"; "The Future Belongs to Those Who Can Adapt" (Fromont); "The Automobile Industry: Engines of Change" (O'Brien); "Negotiating Flexibility to Save Jobs" (Fromont); and "Fixing the Rules of the Game: Partners State Their Case." (JOW)

Suggests the field of communication studies is substantially marked by a nearly exclusive emphasis on culture that risks ignoring a powerful class antagonism between workers and employers. Notes that current literature in the field emphasizes voice, identity, and cultural microstrategies in the workplace rather than on labor's agency in winning…

After analyzing some of the factors--technological development, innovation, work reform movements--that have contributed to the erosion of the conventional model of enterprise organization, the author turns to what may happen in the future. (Author/CT)

Discusses the rise of unemployment in Britain, the changes in the character of the labor force, the increases in part-time employment, and the implications for those involved in employee relations. Includes information about working conditions, labor legislation, and trade union involvement. (JOW)

There has been a steady growth in courses for shop stewards in the United Kingdom in the last decade, much of which is a direct consequence of the increased involvement of the trade union. The authors look at the potential market for shop steward courses by drawing on replies from a national survey. (SSH)

This interview is the latest in a series designed to give an airing to contemporary industrial relations issues. Training of shop stewards and other activists has been a major growth area for about 10 years. The Union of Shop, Distributive, and Allied Workers has been at the forefront in developing new courses and training methods. (SSH)

This article records and assesses developments in relations between employers and academic staff in British polytechnic institutes and colleges. It focuses on the conditions of service and contracts of employment for lecturers. It also analyzes to what extent these issues are symptomatic of a shift in the employee relations strategy of schools…

Results of a survey of 15 directors of large libraries revealed a consensus that despite their adversarial roles and the time and effort it takes to make the relationship work, unions are worth the trouble. Highlights include who runs the library, rewarding mediocrity, salaries, team versus individual, race, negotiating roles, and changes needed.…