British Journal of Industrial Relations最新文献

Labour union organizing has experienced a resurgence of interest in the United States. However, a series of unionization drives have spotlighted the hostility of employers toward unionization. Despite numerous studies examining employer anti-unionism from a qualitative perspective, a significant gap remains as there is currently no available instrument to quantitatively measure this phenomenon. This study, therefore, develops and validates a scale that measures employee perceptions of employer anti-unionism. Based on data gleaned from US workers (N = 55, N = 200, N = 225, N = 250 and N = 158) at two points in time, it follows a multi-step scale development procedure. The 10-item unidimensional scale, which provides a micro-level snapshot of workplace realities, is characterized by internal consistency and composite reliability, as well as indicates face, content and construct validity. The study also confirmed the instrument's predictive and nomological validity. The results indicate that there was a negative relationship between employer anti-unionism and organizational identification, and that attitudes toward unions moderated this relationship. We also found that employer anti-unionism was negatively associated with workers’ job satisfaction, intention to quit and positively with intention to join unions. The study concludes by discussing its theoretical contributions and practical implications.

Minimum wage legislation has spread across rich democracies in recent decades in response to rising inequality and in-work poverty. However, there are concerns that state regulation of wages could reduce incentives to join a union. We empirically test this crowding out hypothesis, using (1) an event-study macro-level analysis of trade union density in 19 advanced capitalist countries between 1960 and 2017 and (2) a multi-level analysis of 32 countries (1981−2020) where we use individual-level union membership as dependent variable. We find no evidence that statutory minimum wage adoption crowds out union density. We also test whether the most vulnerable groups of employees (young, low-skilled and low-income) have a lower propensity to join a union when a minimum wage is introduced but find no effect either.

This article contributes to debates on equality, diversity and inclusion by exploring the efficacy of employers’ equality certifications, focusing on the UK government's Two Ticks and Disability Confident certifications. In Study 1, using data on Two Ticks certification matched into the nationally representative Workplace Employment Relations Study 2011, we found the adoption of disability equality policies and practices, the prevalence of disabled people in the workforce and disabled people's experience of work were no better in Two Ticks than in non-Two Ticks workplaces. In Study 2, using Department for Work and Pensions data on Disability Confident certification matched into WorkL 2021–2023 data (the world's largest employee experience database), we found that the proportion of the workforce that is disabled is no higher in Disability Confident Level 1 ‘Committed’ organisations and Level 3 ‘Leader’ organisations than in non-Disability Confident organisations. While the proportion of the workforce that is disabled is higher in Disability Confident Level 2 ‘Employer’ organisations than in non-Disability Confident organisations, just 22 per cent of Disability Confident organisations are at this level. Disabled people's experience of work was no better in Disability Confident than in non-Disability Confident organisations. Our findings therefore question the efficacy of these employers’ equality certifications.