Fitzgerald, Ian (2005) The death of corporatism? Managing change in the fire service. Personnel Review, 34 (6). pp. 648-662. ISSN 0048-3486
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Purpose – To demonstrate how government policy on fires service reform was initially challenged by a stubbornly resistant fire service corporatism but finally dismantled following the 2003 fire service White Paper.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on longitudinal case study data that includes 50 semi-structured interviews with key fire service personnel at regional and national levels.
Findings – This paper examines the roots of corporatism at national and local levels and demonstrates how the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) had significant levels of influence on management decision-making. This was strongly reflected in the key role of the FBU in the industrial relations process that enabled the union to protect “entrenched” working practices. However, at a local level longstanding corporatist partnerships began to break down as a financial crisis arose and management took a more proactive approach. Corporatist structures at a national level, though, remained and it was not until the Labour government's second term of office that these national structures were overhauled following a White Paper and legislation.
Originality/value – This paper demonstrates that whilst fire service management has consolidated its position under the Labour administration it has proved a disaster for the FBU.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Taken from the special issue "Employment relations and public services' “modernisation” under Labour" |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Labor unions, Public sector-Great Britain |
| Subjects: | L200 Politics |
| Department: | Faculties > Business and Law > Newcastle Business School |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | EPrint Services |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jan 2011 12:22 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Nov 2019 09:54 |
| URI: | http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/2808 |
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