Power, Politics and Influence at Work

Tony Dundon is Professor of Human Resource Management (HRM) and Employment Relations for the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick, Ireland and Visiting Professor for the Work and Equalities Institute at the University of ManchesterMiguel Martínez Lucio is Professor in the HRM, Employment Relations and Employment Law Group for the Work and Equalities Institute at the University of ManchesterEmma Hughes is a Lecturer in HRM at the University of Liverpool Management SchoolDebra Howcroft is Professor of Technology and Organisation for the Work and Equalities Institute at the University of ManchesterArjan Keizer is a Senior Lecturer in Comparative HRM and Industrial Relations in the HRM, Employment Relations and Employment Law Group for the Work and Equalities Institute at the University of ManchesterRoger Walden is an Honorary Lecturer in Labour and Employment Law at Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester

• 1 Work, power and politics2 History, global capitalism and contexts3 The State, law and equality4 Who speaks for whom?5 The futures of work: power, politics and influenceBibliographyIndex

'This book is a wonderful example of a public sociology in the field of labour and industrial relations, harnessing the critical scholarship for the purpose of empowering the labour movement. It will be an ideal May 1st present for many scholars of labour and for your favourite union representatives. The courageous move of the book is seen in its vast scope – reviewing recent developments in work and employment studies (WES) and making them accessible both to advocates of labour as well as to students. While many scholars of labour and industrial relations seek to promote accessible knowledge for its impact in their field of study, the authors’ accomplishment is uniquely valuable in offering an elegant and concise content.'British Journal of Industrial Relations'The authors have provided an important contribution to the crucial debates of our time: what is happening to workers in our rapidly transforming world of work; and more importantly, what can be done to move it in the right direction so that we steer digital, climate and demographic transitions towards decent work for all.'Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization'This new book on work and employment does what it says in the title and puts power, politics and influence at the heart of the analysis of changing employment relations. This is a welcome antidote to the often depoliticised actions of labour market change as the inevitable consequence of unstoppable forces of globalisation or new technologies. This is a book that should be read not only by students and academics but also by labour activists and trade union representatives as it has a two-fold ambition, first to develop a more politically-informed understanding of changing employment relations but second to offer insights into how to try to shape a better future for labour through new political strategies, new alliances and new forms of collectivism.'Jill Rubery, Professor of Comparative Employment Systems, University of Manchester'In today’s globalised world corporations have been able to reorganise work in ways that transfers risk away from capital and onto working people. The result is more inequality, more insecure work and persistently low wage growth. This book is a welcome and accessible contribution to understanding what’s happening and examines pathways for unions and collective action to swing the pendulum back towards working people.'Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions'Written explicitly for activists and those with a commitment to the labour movement, this valuable book provides a concise guide to the challenges facing trade unions and the strategies they can use to improve the experience of work. Power, Politics and Influence at Work is bang-up-to-date, well-informed, clearly written and provocative. It is an essential resource for all those seeking to build power for working people.'Edmund Heery, Professor of Employment Relations, Cardiff University