Collective Employment Relations : Concepts, Cases and Practice

In an era of rapid technological, economic and political change, there is a growing awareness of the challenges of income inequality, employment insecurity and workplace conflict. In this context, positive relationships between management and trade unions offer an opportunity to negotiate change and create fairer and more productive workplaces. Part of the Palgrave Executive Essentials series, this engaging text is the only dedicated resource for executive learners, professionals and students of human resources and labour relations, providing a strategic management guide to employee relations in the unionised workplace. Combining theory with practical examples and tools relating to negotiations with unions and management of a unionised workforce, this book is a one-stop-shop for students, instructors and practitioners looking to supplement their understanding of employment relations with hands-on knowledge of this vitally important context. It includes case studies, reflective questions, suggested resources and further reading for additional learning. It will be a vital resource for executive education courses on employment relations and managing a unionised workforce, as well as MBA students and exec-MA students, as well as the wider practitioner community.

Debbie Sanders is an employment relations specialist with over 30 years’ experience as a consultant, researcher, writer, and lecturer in this field. She has also led ER teams in unionised companies and been a union official. Today she runs Make Work Better, an employment relations consultancy, where she designed and delivers an executive education programme for some of the UK’s largest unionised organisations, helping to build capability in collective employment relations.

Joseph Perry has extensive employment relations experience in unionised public, private and third-sector organisations including transport, law enforcement, utilities and politics. He has led HR and ER functions and worked internationally supporting organisations to achieve their goals through the effective management of collective employment relations and high performing teams. Joseph co-delivers the UKs only executive education programme for employment relations with Debbie Sanders. He studied Industrial Relations at the University of Keele.

Richard Saundry is a leading academic authority on the management of discipline, grievance and workplace conflict. Having previously held posts at the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, Central Lancashire and Plymouth, he is currently working on the development of the groundbreaking Skilled Managers research project at the University of Westminster. He is an author of 'Managing Employment Relations', the core CIPD text for Employee Relations, and edited 'Reframing Resolution' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). His research has been published in a wide range of leading international academic journals.