ABSTRACT
It is evident from existing research in Britain that relatively little is known about management strategies towards non-union employee representation (NER), sometimes also referred to as ‘union-independent’ or ‘alternative’ forms of employee representation, either in terms of its independence from managerial influence or its effectiveness in representing employees’ interests (Gollan 2000, 2001; Terry 1999). Building on earlier work (Gollan 2001), this chapter addresses the deficit by examining the experience of non-union and union representation arrangements at Eurotunnel (UK) and News International Newspapers. These organisations were chosen to generate data on management strategies in establishing NER structures and union responses to such arrangements, and to shed some light on the outcomes and implications of these arrangements for management, unions and employees. The importance of NER arrangements in Britain has been highlighted by the European Union’s Information and Consultation Directive. The Directive applies to undertakings or businesses with at least fifty employees (or establishments with twenty employees or more), and will require them to inform and consult their employees in good time about issues directly affecting work organisation, job security and employment contracts regarding terms and conditions. More specifically, the new directive will require employers under a legal obligation to inform their staff on an ongoing basis about matters such as firm performance and strategic planning. In Britain, the Directive is being introduced as a regulation and in phases: firms with more than 150 employees had until March 2005 to set up information and consultation procedures; those with more than 100 employees have until March 2007; and those with more than fifty employees have until March 2008.
