Donovan, The Commission on Industrial Relations and Post-Liberal Rationalisation

The Report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations (the Donovan Report) and its proposals for change stand as an effort of major importance in UK labor history. The Commission on Industrial Relations (CIR) was established to implement the proposals of the Donovan Rep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of industrial relations 1986-07, Vol.24 (2), p.267-296
Main Author: Palmer, Gill
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Collective bargaining
Government agencies
Labor relations
Labor unions
Proposed
Reforms
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Summary:The Report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations (the Donovan Report) and its proposals for change stand as an effort of major importance in UK labor history. The Commission on Industrial Relations (CIR) was established to implement the proposals of the Donovan Report. An attempt is made to examine the nature of Donovan's proposed reform and the debate concerning the purpose of these proposals. A detailed study of the CIR's company references is used to analyze the impact of Donovan's prescriptions, particularly on the company-level support they received. The evidence is then used to discuss the academic ''pluralism'' and ''corporatist'' debates and on the political advocacy of free collective bargaining. It is concluded that the CIR represented a slight move toward corporatism, rather than sitting firmly within the tradition of liberal collectivism. Donovan's proposals represented, in part, an attempt by sections within the labor movement to formalize and entrench their local bargaining power and improve their negotiating positions.
ISSN:0007-1080
1467-8543
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8543.1986.tb00686.x