ABSTRACT
As Tailby and Winchester (2005) comment, the idea of partnership formed part of the ‘new’ Labour government’s election manifesto in 1997, aiming to find the ‘third way’ in redefined relations between state, trade unions and business. In this vein, a number of new individual and collective employment rights were introduced in the first few years of the Labour government, particularly the national minimum wage and trade union recognition procedures. At more micro levels, a partnership fund encouraged new workplace involvement procedures whilst in the public sector framework agreements have been intended to force partnership at local levels. Much commentary suggests that partnership is a working relationship between the three main stakeholders of the state, employers and employees (Sutherland and Rainbird 2000), with a focus on pay and representation (Tailby and Winchester 2005) and on a ‘new bargaining agenda’ including equal opportunities, working hours and workers’ rights (Heyes 2000).
