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Individual Liberty Versus Industrial Order: Conservatives and the Trade Union Closed Shop 1946–90

2009; Routledge; Volume: 23; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/13619460802636458

1743-7997

Peter Dorey,

Political and Economic history of UK and US

Abstract Although the Conservative Party was always ideologically antipathetic towards compulsory trade union membership, in the guise of the 'closed shop', it was not until the 1980s that it finally succeeded in outlawing this aspect of British trade unionism. Hitherto, the Conservatives had sought to secure a balance between two conflicting stances: instinctive and ideological abhorrence at the denial of individual liberty which the trade union closed shop represented and pragmatic acceptance that the closed shop could actually facilitate industrial order and stability, and that for this very reason, was often tacitly endorsed by many employers. Many Conservatives were also concerned that even if they did outlaw the closed shop, it was likely to be driven underground, whereupon even worse abuses might go undetected. Consequently, the post-war period until the election of the Thatcher Government was characterised by ongoing debates in the Conservative Party over how best to secure a balance between both individual liberty and industrial order and between a majority in a trade union supporting a closed shop and a minority opposing it. Keywords: Closed ShopCollective BargainingLibertyOrderStability Notes [1] Nicholas Scott, House of Commons Debates, 5th series, Vol. 810, col. 625, 27 January 1971. [2] For an excellent examination of the closed shop up until the 1980s, see Dunn and Gennard Dunn, Stephen and Gennard, John. 1984. The Closed Shop in British Industry, Basingstoke: Macmillan. [Google Scholar], The Closed Shop in British Industry. For the period up until the early 1960s, see McCarthy McCarthy, W. E. J. 1964. The Closed Shop in Britain, Oxford: Blackwell. [Google Scholar], The Closed Shop in Britain. [3] Branton Branton, Noel. 1975. 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Additional informationNotes on contributorsPeter DoreyPeter Dorey is Reader in British Politics at Cardiff University. He has published widely on aspects of post-1945 British Conservatism and Conservative Party Politics.