ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case of Eurotunnel, a private binational company that operates the Channel Tunnel that connects Britain and France. The chapter will present quantitative and qualitative research evidence that explores voice mechanisms in Eurotunnel and employees’ satisfaction with those. It also details the partnership arrangement that Eurotunnel management entered with the Transport & General Workers Union (T&GWU) in 2000. Through our case study, we wish to demonstrate the following two points. First, ill-thought-out and poorly implemented non-union employee representation (NER) arrangements can lead to dissatisfaction and eventually to union representation. Second, partnership arrangements in dual-representation arrangements are rife with conflict and power plays. Through this case study, we are able to contribute significantly to the existing but limited literature that examines NER arrangements within the contexts of a partnership agreement.
