The Union Learning Agenda and Trade Union Revitalisation in Wales By Katy Huxley

268 Pages·2015·2.55 MB·English

The Union Learning Agenda and Trade
Union Revitalisation in Wales

By Katy Huxley

A Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of
Philosophy, Cardiff University

Management, Employment and Organisation Section, Cardiff Business School,
Cardiff University 2015
Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my supervisors Prof. Ed Heery, Dr. Marco Hauptmier, and Prof.
Rick Delbridge for their advice and support throughout my studies. I would also like
to acknowledge funding support from the ESRC and SKOPE, without which this
thesis would not have been possible.
Thanks must also go to my husband, family and friends who have supported my
journey, and to Elsie Phillips and Lainey Clayton and the HRM section for the
support they give to the PhD students at Cardiff Business School.
Most importantly I offer a huge thank you to all the ULRs, trade unionists, learning
providers, and WTUC staff who took part in the research for granting me access, and
giving their time and opinions that have informed the analysis herein.
This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my late Grandfather, John Thomas Huxley
who sadly passed away on October 6th 2010 – you will always be loved and
remembered.
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 5
LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................................ 6
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... 7
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................. 8
CHAPTER ONE: THE UNION LEARNING AGENDA ....................................................................... 10
1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Trade Union Revitalisation ........................................................................................................... 12
1.3 Vocational and Educational Training in the UK ......................................................................... 14
1.4 The Union Learning Agenda ........................................................................................................ 20
1.5 Outline of the Thesis ..................................................................................................................... 26
CHAPTER TWO: TRADE UNION REVITALISATION AND THE UNION LEARNING AGENDA ............ 30
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 30
2.2 Conceptualising revitalisation ..................................................................................................... 31
Political revitalisation: social partnership and devolution ............................................................. 35
Political revitalisation and the ULA ................................................................................................... 37
The Role of Devolution ..................................................................................................................... 39
Economic revitalisation: bargaining, workplace systems, and employer relationships ............. 43
Economic revitalisation and the ULA ................................................................................................ 45
Membership revitalisation: attracting activists and encouraging participation........................... 49
Membership revitalisation and the ULA ............................................................................................ 53
Institutional revitalisation: the capabilities model .......................................................................... 57
Internal solidarity ............................................................................................................................... 58
Network embeddedness ................................................................................................................... 59
Narrative resources .......................................................................................................................... 61
Infrastructural resources ................................................................................................................... 61
Institutional revitalisation and the ULA ............................................................................................. 62
Infrastructural resources ................................................................................................................... 62
Network resources ............................................................................................................................ 64
Narratives and framing ..................................................................................................................... 65
2.3 Prospects for revitalisation .......................................................................................................... 65
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................................... 70
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 70
3.2 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 70
3.3 Research Design and Methodology ............................................................................................ 71
Quantitative methods ........................................................................................................................ 74
Questionnaire delivery ...................................................................................................................... 75
Data management ............................................................................................................................ 78
Qualitative methods .......................................................................................................................... 79
Observation ....................................................................................................................................... 79
Documentary research ..................................................................................................................... 83
Interviews .......................................................................................................................................... 84
Qualitative analysis ........................................................................................................................... 86
Using a mixed-methods approach .................................................................................................... 87
3.5 Considerations of credibility, validity, reliability and ethics .................................................... 89
3.6 Reflection and Limitations ........................................................................................................... 91
3.7 Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 92
CHAPTER FOUR: UNION LEARNING AND POLITICAL REVITALISATION ....................................... 93
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 93
4.2 Devolution and Social Partnership ............................................................................................. 93
Policy Structures and Political Relations .......................................................................................... 95
4.3 The role of the WTUC .................................................................................................................... 98
4.4 Policy divergence ........................................................................................................................ 104
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4.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 110
CHAPTER FIVE: UNION LEARNING AND ECONOMIC REVITALISATION ..................................... 113
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 113
5.2 ULR Workplaces .......................................................................................................................... 115
5.3 Provisions, Support and Barriers .............................................................................................. 116
Training, time off and facilities ........................................................................................................ 116
Employer support ............................................................................................................................ 121
Conflict and Barriers ....................................................................................................................... 126
5.4 Bargaining and Procedural mechanisms ................................................................................. 131
Gaining recognition ......................................................................................................................... 131
Negotiating with management ........................................................................................................ 133
Learning Agreements ..................................................................................................................... 134
Workplace committees ................................................................................................................... 138
Employer Pledge ............................................................................................................................ 140
5.5 Substantive outcomes ................................................................................................................ 142
Training provision ........................................................................................................................... 142
Training practices, systems, and types of learning......................................................................... 144
5.6 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 146
CHAPTER SIX: UNION LEARNING AND MEMBERSHIP REVITALISATION .................................... 150
6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 150
6.2 Recruitment activity .................................................................................................................... 151
6.3 Training or Learning ................................................................................................................... 157
6.4 Engaging Employees .................................................................................................................. 164
6.5 Union experience and membership revitalisation ................................................................... 171
6.6 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 173
CHAPTER SEVEN: UNION LEARNING AND INSTITUTIONAL REVITALISATION ............................ 177
7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 177
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7.2 Infrastructural resources: learning, articulating and deliberative vitality............................. 179
7.3 Narrative resources and framing: The construction of the ULR ............................................ 187
7.4 Internal Solidarity, Intermediating Capabilities and Union Collaboration ............................ 191
7.5 Network embeddedness: ULR networks and the Network of Excellence ............................. 197
7.6 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 208
CHAPTER EIGHT: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................................................... 212
8.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 212
8.2 Exploring trade union revitalisation and the Union Learning Agenda .................................. 212
8.3 Key findings ................................................................................................................................. 213
8.3 Discussion: The importance of political context and the potential of partnership ............. 215
Political partnership and the importance of context ........................................................................ 215
Economic partnership ..................................................................................................................... 217
Revitalising membership ................................................................................................................. 219
The importance of networks ........................................................................................................... 221
8.4 Concluding remarks ................................................................................................................... 223
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 226
APPENDIX A: ULR SURVEY ....................................................................................................... 261

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Abstract
This thesis evaluates the Union Learning Agenda (ULA) in Wales using Behrens,
Hamann and Hurd’s (2004) model of trade union revitalisation. The political,
economic, membership and institutional spheres of union learning activity were
explored through a mixed-method study that utilised a quantitative survey of 246
ULRs in Wales, alongside interview, observation and documentary research
methods. The examination showed that within a political social partnership
environment unions extracted resources from government and gained policy
influence. The evaluation of workplace activity showed that ULRs were organising
broadly defined learning for colleagues, and developing bargaining and consultation
with employers over vocational and educational training (VET). Procedural
mechanisms were more common where there was employer support for ULR activity
and substantive outcomes were greater where procedural mechanisms were in
place. Further, ULRs were engaging members through broad rather than narrow
definitions of learning, and supporting the development of union-commitment
behaviours (Snape and Redman 2004). The ULA was increasing the infrastructural
resources, internal solidarity and network embeddedness of trade union institutional
capacity (Lévesque and Murray 2010), thereby contributing to trade union
revitalisation processes. The thesis contributes to empirical knowledge on the ULA
by providing the first analysis of activity in Wales. Secondly, it assessed the content
and importance of multi-union and multi-actor activity in ULA networks. The thesis
argues that in a context where government and employer support for union
involvement is strong, a partnership approach to the ULA can aid union revitalisation
not only at the workplace but beyond it.

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List of Tables
Table 2.1: General election voting patterns and election results in Wales, 1979 –
2010
Table 2.2: Union density, workplace presence and collective bargaining across the
UK (percentage)
Table 2.3: Key arguments and indicators of revitalisation
Table 3.1: Questionnaire data
Table 3.2: Observation data
Table 3.3: Qualitative data thematic codes
Table 4.1: Provisions relating to governance of education and training
Table 5.1: Percentage of ULRs reporting employer support, by workplace type
Table 5.2: Management attitudes to unionism
Table 5.3: Perceived management attitudes to learning and membership
Table 5.4: Perceived management support
Table 5.5: Management support and employer provisions
Table 5.6: Conflict and barriers by workplace type
Table 5.7: Procedural outcomes by workplace context
Table 5.8: Substantive revitalisation outcomes by workplace context and procedural
processes
Table 6.1: Recruitment through learning or other union activity
Table 6.2: Types of training and learning (percentage of ULRs responding positively)
Table 6.3: Training and learning activity by recruitment
Table 6.4: Number of training courses organised, by recruitment
Table 6.5: Percentage of prior and new representative and membership activities
Table 7.1: Characteristics of Union Representatives and ULRs in Wales
Table 7.2: Organisations present at observed NoE meetings
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List of Figures
Figure 2.1: Snape and Redman’s model of union commitment behaviour
Figure 2.2: Lévesque and Murray’s Model of Union Capacity
Figure 3.1: Interview schedule
Figure 5.1: Percentage of ULRs by workplace union density
Figure 5.2: Facilities provided by the employer
Figure 5.3: Perception of employer training provision
Figure 6.1: ULR Activities
Figure 7.1: Trade unions represented in survey returns
Figure 7.2: Positive union impacts (percentage)
Figure 7.3: Membership and activism
Figure 7.4: Meetings and forums attended regularly
Figure 7.5: ULR satisfaction with branch and regional union support
Figure 7.6: Regular ULR contacts

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List of Abbreviations

ACAS Arbitration and Conciliation Advice Service
AM Assembly Member
BECTU Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union
BSA Basic Skills Agency
CBI Confederation of British Industry
CfER Council for Economic Renewal
CWU Communication Workers Union
ELWa Education and Learning Wales
ESB Employment and Skills Board
ETUC European Trade Union Congress
EP The Employer Pledge
FBU Fire Brigades Union
GMB General Municipal Boilermakers
ITB Industrial Training Boards
LA Learning Agreements
LSC Learning and Skills Councils
MSC Manpower Services Commission
NIACE-DC National Institute for Continuing Adult Education in Wales
NoE Networks of Excellence
NUJ National Union of Journalists
NQF National Qualifications Framework
NVQ National Vocational Qualifications
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