History & Policy Trade Union Forum
Aim
The aim of this forum is to explore how trade-union officials and others dealing with strategic issues might benefit from an input by sympathetic, if critical, professional historians with longer-term perspectives on similar problems.
Background
It is the view of those taking this initiative that widely-accepted accounts of British labour history need systematic re-examination if trade unionists are to be fully equipped to motivate the changing nature of today's workforce.
Among the current barriers to union growth is a deeply-embedded negative public image persisting from media and Conservative Party distortions of the actions and motives of their predecessors in the 1970s. This has also affected the views of some senior Labour Party figures. Moreover, widely-accepted but simplistic views of trade unions' longer history as one of continuous persecution, dramatic class struggle, near victories and eventual defeats, do nothing to dispel this negative image in the wider public mind.
As a result, trade unionists working to develop more appropriate and constructive policies today may feel that they are working in something of a vacuum, or even that they are betraying their movement's own traditions. But perhaps this is unnecessary. More complete and balanced accounts of the past might reveal ways in which today's trade unionists are actually working with the grain of their history; throw up alternative policy options for their consideration, and help them to reshape their public image in a more effective direction.
Proposal
We propose the establishment a forum for exchange of views between trade-union officials, professional historians and other related disciplines. Initially this is envisaged as a small group, of 10-15 people, developing trust and open-ended discussion over a series of regular meetings.
It is intended that the trade unionists involved will play a major role in setting the agenda: determining both the general themes to be approached and the more specific issues to be tackled. And it is intended that the forum will function as more than just a 'talking shop': it will commission quality research and promote its findings in wider public discussion.
The meetings and further activities of the forum will be supported in the first instance by History & Policy's external-relations staff.
Coordinators
Jim Moher is a retired national union official (CWU and T&GWU) who has also studied and published works on trade-union history. He is a Tutor (part-time) on Labour and Trade Union History at Ruskin College, Oxford and a contributor to the History & Policy website. Jim_Moher@hotmail.co.uk
See also James G. Moher, Trade unions and the law - history and a way forward?
Alastair Reid is a Lecturer in History at Girton College, Cambridge and a founder of the History & Policy network. His publications include United We Stand. A History of Britain's Trade Unions (Penguin, 2005) and A Short History of the Labour Party, jointly with Henry Pelling (12th edn., Palgrave, 2005). ajr49@cam.ac.uk
See also Alastair J. Reid, Trade unions: a foundation of political pluralism?
Sponsors
We are currently seeking sponsors and co-organisers for this initiative. If you or your organisation would like to be involved, please contact the coordinators.