Organising to win: the role of trade union leadership in the 2016-17 Mixed Fleet Unite-British Airways dispute

Gallagher, Richard

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to add to the industrial relations literature on strikes by conducting a case study of the 2016-17 Mixed Fleet – BA industrial dispute and answer the principal research question: How do trade union workplace representatives and officials organise effective strike action? The research objective was to gain insights into strikes in the UK given the range of factors potentially undermining and restricting industrial action. The research contributes to the industrial relations literature by examining in detail the longest strike in UK civil aviation history, and the first major dispute to take place in the context of the Trade Union Act 2016. Additionally the research includes detailed qualitative data gained from in-depth interviews with the key participants at workplace, regional and national level, and addresses a research gap regarding contemporary analytical case studies of strikes. The key findings reinforce the theoretical association between trade union membership and strikes, as well as the under-researched association between strikes and union membership growth. The research also builds on Kelly’s (1998) Mobilisation Theory by detailing the social processes of mobilisation and the critical role played by a small group of union representatives in the ‘micro-mobilisation’ context. Crucially, social media and other online communications were the principal methods used in the mobilisation towards the strike. The research findings contribute to an understanding of new forms of collective action taking place alongside strikes, including the protests, campaigns and demonstrations so effectively used. The case study contributes to the literature on strikes by examining the range of tactics used including discontinuous action, ‘protest points’ replacing the traditional picket lines, and the importance of strike pay in financially supporting union members. Finally, the research contributes to the literature on the legal regulation of industrial action, and specifically the impact of the Trade Union Act 2016. The new legislation had the effect of legitimising ongoing strike action, providing the union with the ability to broaden strike demands, and crucially resulted in increased mobilisation to meet the ballot threshold of 50 percent.

Citation

Gallagher, R. (2023). Organising to win: the role of trade union leadership in the 2016-17 Mixed Fleet Unite-British Airways dispute. (Thesis). Keele University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 12, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 12, 2023
• Award Date: 2023-10