ABSTRACT
At the end of this chapter, readers should understand:
How conflict at work may manifest in strikes (in the case of collective conflict between employers and workers) and complaints to labour courts (individual conflict between employers and employees);
The dimensions of strike activity and the ways in which the pattern of disputes has changed over time in Britain and elsewhere;
Theoretical models explaining why strikes might occur even though appearing irrational to the extent the same outcome might have been negotiated without the parties incurring the costs involved (the “Hicks paradox”); and, at an individual level, why union members might choose to participate in strikes despite the presence of a potential free-rider problem;
The factors found to be associated with strike activity in empirical studies, together with some evidence on the associated costs in terms of lost output;
The basic functioning of the Employment Tribunal (ET) system in Britain as a means for dealing with individual problems at work, the nature of disputes these bodies address and the outcomes that occur;
How most claims to ETs are resolved without the need for a hearing, and the factors that might promote early settlement of claims, together with some early evidence on same;
Current policy debates concerning ETs and their operation.
