ABSTRACT
The multinational corporations have acquired new international sophistication in circumventing the pressure of the unions. In most instances new strategies are designed to strengthen the employers’ position in the bargaining confrontation, although some companies have evolved policies for keeping the union completely out of their plants. Examples of the latter are companies like Dupont de Nemours, ibm, Union Carbide, Standard Oil, Esso and Shell. The first three pursue a global policy of keeping bona fide unions out of their plants even where they bargain ‘loyally’ as part of a regional management association. The aim is to create a company-oriented, company-identified community of workers. The oil companies frequently favour a company-controlled organization with the façade or appearance of an independent union (as in Shell or Standard Oil). In this way, they retain complete control over the work force without outside interference and still project the image that they are progressive, socially responsible employers who accept trade unionism.
