ABSTRACT
In the last decade of the twentieth century myths about the role of trade unions in the preceding post-war era were extended and lodged themselves deeper in public consciousness. Yet the dangers of leaving the field to self-interested mythmakers justify the preliminary work of clearing the ground and beginning a more rigorous scrutiny of the fortunes of post-war trade unionism. Texts addressing the past, even the post-war period, have been rare and have constituted a small fraction of the output of industrial relations, as a glance at its major journals will confirm. For New Labour leader Tony Blair, Conservative governments since 1979 had improved industrial relations and moulded more responsible and efficient trade unionism. Industrial relations has continued to constitute the heartland for the study of trade unionism. It produces a rich periodical and monographic literature dealing with diverse aspects of current trade union organization and practice.
