An enquiry by W. E. J. MCCARTHY
Research Fellow in Industrial Relations, Nuffield College, Oxford
Every year there are about 2,500 strikes in Britain. The great majority occur in a very few industries. In part, this can be explained by the characteristics of the strike-prone industry; for example, the uncertainty and danger of the work of the coal miner. But even in such an industry some work-places arc noticeably more strike-prone than others.
In this enquiry, W. E. J.
McCarthy examines, with the help of recordings with management, union officials, shop stewards, workers, and industrial relations experts, the reasons for this uneven distribution of strikes. He considers further the relevance of this to the more general problems of strike action. Produced by Richard THOMAS
To be repeated on June 9