Trade Union and Employment Forum
This Forum brings together academics, trade unionists, employers and the media to examine the historic context of trade union and labour policies and identify lessons that can be learnt for today and the future. The Forum also marks key events that have shaped the workplace and business world such as the 1984 Miners’ Strike, the Health and Safety Act, the introduction of employment tribunals and the anniversary of the 1926 General Strike.
Regular seminars and conferences bring together interested parties and provide the opportunity to hear from key players and experts in a wide range of topical employment issues. From time to time the forum also produces opinion pieces to be found on this website.
The Forum is part of the History and Policy Group based in the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London, connecting historians, policy makers and the media.
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How the TUC learned to love the European Union and how the affair turned out
Lord David Lea (formerly TUC Deputy General Secretary) threw stimulating light on the background to the sudden switch of the TUC to a pro-European position in 1988, while John Edmonds (formerly GMB General Secretary) provided an evaluation of the longer-term advantages and disadvantages for trade unionism in Britain.
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Democracy in the workplace – the Bullock Report revisited
Lord David Lea (formerly TUC Deputy General Secretary) recalled his role in the run-up to the Bullock Report of 1977 which had raised many issues about democracy still relevant today, while Professor Peter Ackers raised questions about other options even within the mainstream of academic industrial relations at the time.
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Launch of The Tide of Democracy, shipyard workers and social relations in Britain, 1870-1950
Dr Alastair Reid introduced his new book on the history of British shipbuilding, The Tide of Democracy, by emphasizing the economic benefits of clustering many medium-sized firms in the same district, which had profound implications for the skills and unionization of the workforce.
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Apprentice training, youth organisation and trade unionism
Professor Paul Ryan argued that British employers have been too prone to providing mediocre training and exploiting opportunities for cheap youth labour, while Lord Tony Young (then Minister for Skills and Apprenticeship) defended the quality of training offered by the Labour Government's Modern Apprentices Scheme.
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The Osborne Judgment of 1909
Dr Jim Moher suggested that Walter Osborne's campaign in the 1900s shed important light on individual/collective tensions over the trade union political levy, while Tony Dubbins (Trade Unions for Labour) argued that the unions were still a popular voluntary force which were not treated with sufficient respect in reviews of party funding.
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About Us
H&P is based at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London.
We are the only project in the UK providing access to an international network of more than 500 historians with a broad range of expertise. H&P offers a range of resources for historians, policy makers and journalists.
