‘Soft regulation’ and the modernisation of employment relations under the British Labour Government (1997–2010): partnership, workplace facilitation and trade union change

Abstract

This article explores the way that the British New Labour Government (1997–2010) sought to craft a modernised approach to employment relations through the means of ‘soft regulation’. Drawing from discrete empirical projects from each of New Labour's three terms of office, the article examines the role of the state in promoting labour-employer partnerships for mutual gains, the facilitation of workplace change and the modernisation of trade unions. The article argues that the lack of collective regulation in Britain has meant that the state has had to intervene in every more subtle, discrete and complex and, because of this, analysis of the varied means of ‘soft regulation’ allows for a deeper appreciation of the nature of state intervention in employment relations. Such intervention brings new tensions and challenges to the organisation of the state's role in employment relations.

Keywords:

• Labour government
• modernisation of employment relations
• partnership at work
• soft regulation
• state

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank our colleagues, Andy Charlwood (York), Robert Perrett (Bradford), Jennifer Tomlinson (Leeds) and Emma Wallis (Community), who collaborated with us on various stages of the UMF research.

Notes

1. The UMF was officially wound up by the disbanding of its Advisory Board by the Conservative–Liberal Coalition government in 2010. However, New Labour itself had no intention of funding beyond the three rounds of UMF.

2. However, the current Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition elected in 2010 is likely to undermine that, as its deficit reduction programme will render partnership limited at best and meaningless at worse; and this may present conflict as the only viable option to unions looking to represent members' interests.