History & Policy

Peter Dorey, author Comrades in Conflict: Labour, the Trade Unions & In Place of Strife (1969), Manchester 2019 In Place of Strife (1969): Trade Union legal rights & responsibilities revisited 27 April 2019 - 11:00 am - 16:00 pm Modern Records Centre, Warwick University 50 years ago, the conflict between the Harold Wilson Labour Government & the trade unions over the Barbara Castle White Paper ‘In Place of Strife’ was one of the pivotal moments of post-war British Industrial Relations. It pitched voluntarist ideas of ‘free collective bargaining’ against ideas of economic planning & public policy concerns about strikes, inflation and restrictive practices. The white paper followed the 1968 Donovan Report & preceded Heath’s Conservative 1971 Industrial Relations Act. In response to Peter Dorey’s new book on In Place of Strife, this seminar has two parts. In the morning there is a historical reassessment of the political episode. In the afternoon, we consider the implications for current L