The Development of Industrial Relations in Britain (1973) examines the evolution of the central institution of the British industrial relations system – collective bargaining. This book traces changes to collective bargaining, and therefore industrial relations, through the most significant joint attempts made by trade unionists and employers to understand and improve it. These attempts were through the Industrial Council (1911–13), the Whitley Committee, Report and Scheme (1916–39), the National Industrial Conference (1919–21) and the Conference on Industrial Reorganisation and Industrial Relations (1928–9).

The bibliography contains references to literature on British industrial relations published in the years 1971 to 1979 inclusive. It includes books, periodical articles, theses, government publications, pamphlets and any other relevant publications. As well as general material on industrial relations, the bibliography includes material on employee attitudes and behaviour, employee organisation, employers and their organisation, collective bargaining, industrial conflict, industrial democracy, the labour market, training, employment, unemployment, labour mobility, pay, conditions and the role of the state in industrial relations. It is cross-referenced and has an author index. It is a supplement to the volume compiled by George Bain and Gillian Woolven (published by the Press in 1979) and for the years since 1980 is itself updated by annual articles in the British Journal of Industrial Relations. The material is arranged by subject, and chronologically within that framework.

Containing over 25,000 entries, this unique volume will be absolutely indispensable for all those with an interest in Britain in the twentieth century. Accessibly arranged by theme, with helpful introductions to each chapter, a huge range of topics is covered. There is a comprehensiveindex.

The Challenge of Labour (1980) explains the changing forms of labour’s relationship with British society during the period of 1850 to 1930 – as the economic and social relations of Britain, the pioneer of modern industrial development, were undergoing a profound transformation due to increasing pressure from foreign competitors. It looks at the importance of the forces of production in determining the character of the relationship, whilst regarding labour as a creative act, identifying man as a social animal. This important period gave rise to a unique symbiosis in terms of a mutually dependent but simultaneously antagonistic relationship, reflected in the growth of trade unionism, associations for working class ‘self-help’, and labourist political movements during the years 1850–70. The book goes on to explain why and how these forms of labour’s relationship with British society as a whole were subsequently to be transformed as they were affected by the changing direction of Britain’s economic development after the 1870s. This resulted in a recognisable ‘modern’ pattern of British social relations, marked by a growing acceptance of ‘corporatist’ solutions to problems of economic and social instability.

George Ranken Askwith was a key figure in the development of British industrial relations. This new biography is based on a wide range of archival sources including government records, newspaper articles, Askwith’s personal correspondence and his wife’s private diaries.

This set of 44 volumes, originally published between 1924 and 1995, amalgamates a wide breadth of research on the Labour Movement, including labour union history, the early stages and development of the Labour Party, and studies on the working classes. This collection of books from some of the leading scholars in the field provides a comprehensive overview of the subject how it has evolved over time, and will be of particular interest to students of political history.

Following the volumes on Henri Fayol, this next mini-set in the series focuses on F.W. Taylor, the initiator of "scientific management". Taylor set out to transform what had previously been a crude art form in to a firm body of knowledge.

What do unions do and why do they do it? Do they seek to maximise profit for their members, or to obtain better working conditions that benefit society as a whole? Derek H. Aldcroft and Michael J. Oliver here provide one of the first sustained studies of the effects of union activities in terms of economic performance and the impact on the business world. From the rise of the British mass trade union movement in the 1870s to the present day, the book examines the main trends in union development and structure, and the core strategies unions have used to achieve their objectives: the use of strikes, work rules and restrictive practices; workers’ attitudes to innovation; the wage bargaining process. Important assessments are made of the influence of these strategies on investment, innovation, economic growth, and the cost of structure and competitiveness of the UK economy.