ANALYZING THE POLITICAL FUND BALLOTS: A REMARKABLE VICTORY OR THE TRIUMPH OF THE STATUS QUO?
In: Political studies, Band 35, Heft 4, S. 623-642
ISSN: 0032-3217
THE TRADE UNION ACT (1984) INTRODUCED SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, BOTH IN THE PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING POLITICAL FUNDS AND IN THE DEFINITION OF POLITICAL OBJECTS. ON THE PROCEDURAL SIDE IT REQUIRED UNIONS TO HOLD PERIODIC MEMBERSHIP BALLOTS, AT LEAST EVERY TEN YEARS, TO MAINTAIN A FUND AND, IN SO DOING, REQUIRED MOST UNIONS WITH A POLITICAL FUND TO CONDUCT A BALLOT BY THE END OF MARCH 1986 IF THEY WISHED TO KEEP IT. ON THE SUBSTANTIVE SIDE IT REDEFINED POLITICAL OBJECTS IN SUCH A WAY AS TO RAISE SERIOUS DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER ACTIVITIES THAT MANY UNIONS HAD TRADITIONALLY SUPPORTED FROM GENERAL FUNDS COULD CONTINUE TO BE PAID FOR FROM THAT SOURCE. THE PROBLEMS THIS POSED FOR BOTH THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT AND THE LABOUR PARTY WERE ACUTE. FAILURE TO SECURE MEMBERSHIP APPROVAL FOR THE CONTINUATION OF POLITICAL FUNDS WOULD NOT ONLY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR UNIONS TO USE POLITICAL ACTION TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS BUT, MORE DRAMATICALLY, MIGHT STARVE THE LABOUR PARTY OF CASH. FOR IN 1983, 79 PER CENT OF LABOUR PARTY REVENUE WAS OBTAINED THROUGH THE AFFILIATION OF 6.1 MILLION MEMBERS OF 47 TRADE UNIONS. THE UNIONS RESPONDED BY MOUNTING THEIR LARGEST CAMPAIGN SINCE THAT AGAINST THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT (1971). THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES IN DETAIL THE BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPAIGN AND ITS EVENTUAL, HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME, AND PROVIDES AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THINGS HAPPENED AS THEY DID.