ABSTRACT
Writing in 1992, Seifert noted that a central element of industrial relations in the UK National Health Service (NHS) is the ‘existence and influence of powerful trade unions and professional associations’ (1992, 3). This still holds true in 2006 when unions have been intimately involved in an extensive pay modernisation project. Seifert also argued that the managerial imperative to raise labour productivity in the NHS ensures that wage determination (denoted as market relations) and performance controls (denoted as managerial relations) lie at the heart of operational needs. With regard to the latter, he indicated the overwhelming concern of NHS managers to ‘control the work effort and direction of their workforce’ (1992, 3).
