Institutional Adaption & The TUC: The changing political role of trade unions in Britain, 1979-1988

Abstract

This paper is a qualitative case study on the the micro-level of historical research on how the British trade union movement, represented by its foremost institution the Trades Union Congress, sought to adapt institutionally and maintain a political role within Britain’s liberal market economy institutional arrangements in the late 20th century. This study will not only illustrate the specific mechanisms of institutional change in regards to the TUC but also contribute to our understanding of the broader British economy and how the trade unions’ have adapted to changes in this economy. This study analyses a particular ‘critical juncture’ period for industrial relations in Britain, specifically 1979-1988 with Thatcher’s Conservative Government, when the political role of the union movement was greatly reduced by labour reform’s enacted by the Government. The purpose of this study is to show how the TUC as the executive body of the union movement responded strategically and adapted to the compromise of its political role in Britain’s institutional arrangements during this ‘critical juncture’ period. In doing so, it is hoped that this study can not only examine the specifics of institutional change and the effects of labour institutions on political outcomes in Britain but also contribute to the overall debate on how we define Britain’s institutional arrangements.