Catherwood LibraryILR School

With the annual conventions of Britain’s Trades Union Congress (TUC) and his own Labour Party just around the corner, British Prime minister Tony Blair’s attempts to avoid an all out revolt by the party’s union backbone while hewing to his business-friendly “New Labour” line, are growing increasingly strained. His government’s offer of a review of employment laws---intended to regain the approval of unionists outraged by his anti-workers’ rights stance---having been met with indignation from business groups and calls for actions not words from the labor movement (see WIT for July 8, 2002), Mr. Blair has once again struck a balance seemingly dictated by politics rather than principles. Union protections will possibly be increased and two reviews of workers’ rights will take place, but the reviews will lead to consultation instead of legislative action and greater rights and protections for individual workers will not be forthcoming.