George Bain and memories of the Bullock Committee on Industrial Democracy

Phillips, J. (2023) George Bain and memories of the Bullock Committee on Industrial Democracy. Historical Studies in Industrial Relations, 44(1), pp. 173-180. (doi: 10.3828/hsir.2023.44.10)

Abstract

George Bain was interviewed on 26 January 2023, using the format of a life-course interview to frame his memories of the Committee of Inquiry on Industrial Democracy, 1975–77, chaired by Alan Bullock, which explored how industrial democracy could be advanced through proposals made by the Trades Union Congress in 1972–73 for board-level workers’ representation, which it saw as a means to locate workers’ interests more centrally within corporate strategy. Two issues emerged in the workings of the committee: the macro division of class and ideology, chiefly between union and unionsympathizing advocates of worker directors on the one hand, and business and business-sympathizing opponents on the other hand; and the micro division within the trade-union movement over worker directors. Two reports were published. The Majority Report recommended that one-third of company directors be elected by trade-union members employed in the company. This was not supported by the Labour government, which proposed a diluted version of the Minority Report. The government made no attempt to legislate.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Phillips, Professor Jim
• Authors: Phillips, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Economic and Social History
• Journal Name: Historical Studies in Industrial Relations
• Publisher: Liverpool University Press
• ISSN: 1362-1572
• ISSN (Online): 2049-4459
• Published Online: 10 December 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 Liverpool University Press
• First Published: First published in Historical Studies in Industrial Relations 44(1):173-180
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher