Industrial Conflicts: a Comparison Between Britain and France

Industrial Conflicts: A Comparison between Britain and France Outline of proposed paper I would like to conduct a comparison in the Industrial Conflicts between Britain and France. In this period of financial crisis where companies are taking action on both sides of the English Channel to stay competitive, it would be interesting to analyze the industrial conflicts of these countries as trade unions and workers are sometimes protesting to save their jobs occasionally with extreme violence.

I would also like to know more about the Industrial Conflicts in Britain as this is something unfamiliar for me compared to the situation in France where trade unionism and militancy is present early in our lives with students commonly on strike and usually commences from High School. Identification and justification of relevant theory

Before focusing on industrial conflicts, I thought that it would be interesting to first understand the industrial relations with the theory of Richard Whitley (1992) and the concept of Business Systems to highlight that there are major differences between these two countries in the way of organizing and managing economic activities and structuring their industrial relations.

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Concerning the Industrial Conflicts, Steve Jefferys (2001, 2003)who analyses the French and British employment relations using legal, sociological and historical approaches and also the neo-liberal, regulation, social movement and the societal effect theories to understand the employment relations and their industrials conflict will be my main focus. My additional focus will be on Michael Jackson and his analysis on strike trends, specifically in Anglo-Saxon countries. He thoroughly examines explanations for strikes drawing on research findings and comments from a broad range of disciplines from various authors and theories.

Identification of empirical evidence The TUC (Trades Union Congress) library will be extremely helpful in finding out information about British trade union in general and industrial conflicts and militancy more particularly. Richard Clutterbuck (1984) gives us data about strike details in Britain between 1971 and 1980. Micael P. Jackson (1987) also provides data about duration and the average number of workers involved in strikes in the U. K. between 1915 and 1985. Jeff Bridgford developed data about French trade union membership and their belonging to the “Parti Socialiste” between 1970 and 1979.

Preliminary evaluation of alternative arguments and evidence Concerning the industrial relations, Richard Whitley (1992, 2000) seems to belong to the divergent school which means that business systems of countries and their industrial relations are influenced by institutions, history, values or beliefs. However, other authors such as Ohmae (1996) argues the end of the nation-state and the rise of regional economies where economic decisions are now taken at the level of economic region which are often cross national boundaries and economically independent of the nation-states where they reside.

Critical self-assessment of progress to date From week three to Five, I looked at literature about Militancy but nothing came out. After a refocus on the topic on industrial conflict, my task until week seven was to read about industrial relations thinking that I will identify the reason of the industrial conflicts but I did not find a clear answer. My regret is to have not read earlier about Steve Jefferys (2001, 2003) and Jackson (1987) who gives much more insight into industrial conflicts. Plan for completion based on progress self-evaluation

The schedule concerning my research would be to finish investigating the studies of Jefferys (2001, 2003) and Jackson (1987) and read more about Poole (1986) before the end of December to clearly identify the issues of industrial conflicts. From the 8th December, I also would like to visit the TUC Library to find more data and literature about industrial conflicts. By the end of the First week of January, I hope to have completed the report in order to come back to it with a fresh mind and arrange it without the pressure of deadline.

References List Bridgford, J. , (1991), The Politics of French Trade Union. Leicester: Leicester University Press Clutterbuck, R. (1984), Industrial Conflict and Democracy: The Last Chance. London: The MacMillian Press LTD Jackson, M. (1987), Strikes: Industrial Conflict in Britain, U. S. A. and Australia. Sussex: Wheatsheaf Books LTD Jefferys, S. , & al, (2001), European Working lives: Continuities and Change in Management and Industrial Relations in France, Scandinavia and the U. K. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited Jefferys, S. (2003), Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite at Work: Changing French Employment Relations and Management. London: Palgrave Ohmae, K. (1996), The End of Nation State. London: Harper Collins Whitley R. , (1992), European Business Systems: Firms and Markets in their National Contexts. London: Mansel Whitley, R. , (2000), Divergent Capitalisms: The Social Structuring and Change of Business Systems. Oxford: Oxford University Press Bibliography Hall, P. & Soskice, D. (2001), Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations Comparative Advantage.

Oxford: Oxford University Press Kornhauser, A. , (1954), Industrial Conflict. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company Perkins, S. & Shortland, S. , (2006), Stategic International Human Resource Management: Choices and Consequences in Multinational People Management. London: Kogan Page Poole, M. (1986), Industrial Relations: Origins and Patterns of National Diversity. London: Routledge and Kegan-Paul Rubery, J. & Grimshaw, D. , (2003), The Organization of Employment: An International Perspective. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillian http://www. unionhistory. info

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