Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s

Stephen Mustchin

doi:10.3828/lhr.2021.5

Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980sCitation formats

Authors:
Stephen Mustchin

Standard

Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. / Mustchin, Stephen.

In: Labour History Review, Vol. 86, No. 1, 22.04.2021, p. 91-115.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Harvard

Mustchin, S 2021, 'Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s', Labour History Review, vol. 86, no. 1, pp. 91-115. https://doi.org/10.3828/lhr.2021.5

APA

Mustchin, S. (2021). Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. Labour History Review, 86(1), 91-115. https://doi.org/10.3828/lhr.2021.5

Vancouver

Mustchin S. Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. Labour History Review. 2021 Apr 22;86(1):91-115. https://doi.org/10.3828/lhr.2021.5

Author

Mustchin, Stephen. / Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. In: Labour History Review. 2021 ; Vol. 86, No. 1. pp. 91-115.

Bibtex

@article{edf0838918924f58a1565f6359f742d5,

title = "Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s",

abstract = "This article considers the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. Developing the contribution by Alan Tuckman on the rise of occupations in the 1970s, attention is given to the structural factors that can explain the reasons why workers{\textquoteright} uses of the tactics have declined since the period. Focusing on the wider context and two contrasting cases (the 1980 Gardner and 1984 Cammell Laird occupations), this article advances six key reasons why this decline has taken place. First, the decline of manufacturing and rising unemployment in the 1980s; second, an overall decline in strikes more generally in terms of their incidence and duration; third, anti-union legislation and policing; fourth, the lack of a positive demonstration effect with regard to {\textquoteleft}successful{\textquoteright} examples of occupations in the 1980s; fifth, the decline of debates around alternative forms of ownership including nationalization and the incipient workers control/ cooperatives movement, and sixth, the decline of the far left and the networks that had sustained occupations to some extent in the 1970s and 1980s.",

keywords = "1980s, Strikes, Trade unions, Workplace occupations",

author = "Stephen Mustchin",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "22",

doi = "10.3828/lhr.2021.5",

language = "English",

volume = "86",

pages = "91--115",

journal = "Labour History Review",

issn = "0961-5652",

publisher = "Maney Publishing",

number = "1",

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RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Job destruction and closures in deindustrialising Britain; the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s

AU - Mustchin, Stephen

PY - 2021/4/22

Y1 - 2021/4/22

N2 - This article considers the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. Developing the contribution by Alan Tuckman on the rise of occupations in the 1970s, attention is given to the structural factors that can explain the reasons why workers’ uses of the tactics have declined since the period. Focusing on the wider context and two contrasting cases (the 1980 Gardner and 1984 Cammell Laird occupations), this article advances six key reasons why this decline has taken place. First, the decline of manufacturing and rising unemployment in the 1980s; second, an overall decline in strikes more generally in terms of their incidence and duration; third, anti-union legislation and policing; fourth, the lack of a positive demonstration effect with regard to ‘successful’ examples of occupations in the 1980s; fifth, the decline of debates around alternative forms of ownership including nationalization and the incipient workers control/ cooperatives movement, and sixth, the decline of the far left and the networks that had sustained occupations to some extent in the 1970s and 1980s.

AB - This article considers the uses and decline of workplace occupations in the 1980s. Developing the contribution by Alan Tuckman on the rise of occupations in the 1970s, attention is given to the structural factors that can explain the reasons why workers’ uses of the tactics have declined since the period. Focusing on the wider context and two contrasting cases (the 1980 Gardner and 1984 Cammell Laird occupations), this article advances six key reasons why this decline has taken place. First, the decline of manufacturing and rising unemployment in the 1980s; second, an overall decline in strikes more generally in terms of their incidence and duration; third, anti-union legislation and policing; fourth, the lack of a positive demonstration effect with regard to ‘successful’ examples of occupations in the 1980s; fifth, the decline of debates around alternative forms of ownership including nationalization and the incipient workers control/ cooperatives movement, and sixth, the decline of the far left and the networks that had sustained occupations to some extent in the 1970s and 1980s.

KW - 1980s

KW - Strikes

KW - Trade unions

KW - Workplace occupations

U2 - 10.3828/lhr.2021.5

DO - 10.3828/lhr.2021.5

M3 - Article

VL - 86

SP - 91

EP - 115

JO - Labour History Review

JF - Labour History Review

SN - 0961-5652

IS - 1

ER -