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The Effects of Recent Changes in Industrial Conflict on the Internal Politics of Trade Unions: Britain and Germany

In: The Resurgence of Class Conflict in Western Europe since 1968

Author

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  • Roderick Martin

Abstract

The classical analysis of union politics is derived from Michels’s work on Social Democratic parties and trade unions, Political Parties (1959 edition). According to Michels (ibid. 401), central executive domination over rank-and-file member of trade unions is inevitable, deriving from the simple fact of organisation: … oligarchy depends upon … THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE ORGANISATION ITSELF … upon the tactical and technical necessities which result from the consolidation of every disciplined political aggregate. Reduced to its most concise expression, the fundamental sociological law of political parties … may be formulated in the following terms: ‘It is organisation which gives birth to the dominion of the elected over the electors, of the mandatories over the mandators, of the delegates over the delegators. Who says organisation says oligarchy.’

Suggested Citation

  • Roderick Martin, 1978. "The Effects of Recent Changes in Industrial Conflict on the Internal Politics of Trade Unions: Britain and Germany," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Colin Crouch & Alessandro Pizzorno (ed.), The Resurgence of Class Conflict in Western Europe since 1968, chapter 4, pages 101-126, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-1-349-03025-5_4
    DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-03025-5_4
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