Employers extol virtues of unions

Employers are increasingly taking a positive stance towards unions because they believe officials and stewards can be allies in implementing changes in the workplace.

This is the conclusion of a Cambridge University study, Future of collectivism, carried out under the government's Future of Work programme. It involved interviews with managers in 60 companies across all sectors as well as with 34 union officials.

Many managers said that unions were becoming more "business-focused" and "useful" to employers, and union officials felt that many employers have become more pro-union. Study author Professor William Brown said this suggests that "a convergence of interests has occurred, spurred by both legal changes and competitive pressures."

The study found that employers are increasingly restricting trade union influence on traditional issues such as pay setting but using them to facilitate organisational changes.

The 1999 Employment Relations Act and EU influence had accelerated this.