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Papers by Roger Tarling

Working Europe, 2019

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:9349.2269(ESRC-CBR-WP--43) / BLDSC... more SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:9349.2269(ESRC-CBR-WP--43) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Contributions to Political Economy, 1982

The State and the Labor Market, 1989

Government policy under Thatcher has been based on two main elements. The first element, deflatio... more Government policy under Thatcher has been based on two main elements. The first element, deflation through control of the public sector deficit, became operative in the early stages of the first Thatcher administration and was continued throughout most of the first two periods of office. However, even within the first period of office, the scope for further major reductions in public spending was seen by the cabinet as highly constrained and partly self-defeating because it causes a shrinking of the tax base (Ward & Nield, 1978). In 1987, there was a reversal of the policy, funded by selling off nationalized industries. Meanwhile, the second element in the government’s policy has come to the fore, that of “freeing-up” the labor market. This policy has taken longer to come to fruition because of the extent of institutional and legislative changes required to stimulate low-paid employment. Deregulation involved reducing trade union rights, legal controls over employment, and privatizing public sector services. In the first part of the chapter, we describe and assess the Thatcher government’s policy toward specific aspects of the labor market against a background of previous governments’ policies and changing economic, political, and social conditions. Four areas of policy with specific relevance to the labor market are identified: macroeconomic, industrial and labor market, industrial relations, and social security and family. In the second part of the chapter, we consider the political and industrial response to these policies, and we conclude by considering their impact on labor market organization in the United Kingdom (UK).

Journal of Industrial Relations, 1986

too broadly, to include ’all activities which affect people’s working lives’ (page 192). The matt... more too broadly, to include ’all activities which affect people’s working lives’ (page 192). The matters listed in the Employment Protection Act as constituting ’industrial relations’ are accepted by the authors, nevertheless, as indicating the core material of the subject and as identifying many, but not all, of the special problem areas that should be addressed by ACAS advisers. The study concludes that the consensus view of the interested parties and clients of the ACAS advisory service indicates broad satisfaction with assistance received, although the authors do not go on to argue that the advisory function is operating at optimum effectiveness (page 140). Despite their very wide definition of ’industrial relations’, they do not proceed to express any clearcut conclusion as to what specific, new problem areas could usefully be tackled by ACAS advisers. Nor do they indicate how an ’improvement’ in industrial relations could be demonstrated. Instead, they close the book by citing a diverse variety of views of ACAS advisers concerning what are ’good’ and ’bad’ industrial relations practices. Despite these criticisms, this is a book that many will be glad to have on their shelves. It is a valuable contribution to the literature on the role of the state in industrial relations. One of the authors has had extensive practical experience in arbitration with ACAS, and this is reflected in the down-toearth approach of the book. Australian industrial relations specialists will find that it presents much fresh information and insight, supported by extensive original research, into an aspect of third-party activity with which they are unlikely to be familiar and which provides a useful point of contrast with the operations of our own conciliation and arbitration systems. It is recommended to all serious students of the subject, including those interested in comparative labour relations. University of Western Australia NICHOLAS BLAIN

Cambridge Journal of Economics, 1982

A well established conventional widsom in economics is that in the long period the inter-industry... more A well established conventional widsom in economics is that in the long period the inter-industry wage structure remains remarkably stable. A comparison of the rank order of the level of hourly earnings in 82 industries in the UK in 1980 with the rank order for the same industries in ...

This report deals with Action 5 of the White Paper Follow-Up process and analyses feasible steps ... more This report deals with Action 5 of the White Paper Follow-Up process and analyses feasible steps or improvements already undertaken by Member States and the Community at large to "make better use of public funds for combating unemployment". Public funds devoted to labour market policies play a vital role in achieving employment intensive growth. The White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment of the Commission of the European Communities proposes a full-scale overhaul of employment policies and a shift of the balance of public expenditure decisively in favour of active labour market policies. Part one of the report approaches in a more analytical way the dynamics of active labour market policies in the Member States. On the basis of the concept of active versus passive expenditure the current balance and recent shifts in this balance are compared across European Union Member States. Along the line of OECD-definitions and data collection efforts of active and pass...

Cambridge Journal of Economics, 1977

The Social Contract as originally conceived was an agreement between the British government and t... more The Social Contract as originally conceived was an agreement between the British government and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) by which the government agreed to adopt economic and social policies favoured by the trade unions in exchange for voluntary wage control. It ...