ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part argues that unions continue to play a central role in work and employment relations despite recent problems arising from economic challenges and hostile governments. It explains that for most of the twentieth century, the arbitration system supported the role and functions of unions by providing them with a key role in the settlement of disputes and the determination of wages. The part provides an insight into how one union has pursued a ‘professionalisation’ agenda involving greater cooperation with the government than was hitherto the case. It also explains the fluctuations of interest in co-operatives over time. The part draws on a small but growing number of studies of the impact of financialisation on employment relations including David Weil’s chapter on financial capital’s role in the ‘fissuring’ of work.
