ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the problems posed for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) by the interaction of a declining national economy and its own distinctive structures stood out in particularly bold relief when its political ally, the Labour Party, was in power. The proneness of the economy to crisis made it difficult for Labour governments to provide their union allies with consistent policy rewards for their electoral support. The postwar reformist goals of the TUC were only partially attained. The TUC had eagerly accepted the British postwar settlements twin offerings, Keynesianism and welfare benefits in state economic policies, plus unfettered trade union autonomy in the labor market. The unions thus found their own short-run objectives coming into potential conflict with both their organizational goals and their policy objectives. The recurrence of inflation in the British economy posed similar problems for union leaders.
