Activities and Power of Workplace Representatives on the Railway : a Comparative Study, 1979-1980

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The research replicates a study of the activities and power of workplace union representatives already completed in the coal industry. The objectives of the study on the railway are as follows:<br>
1. Firstly, to test further the methodology for the comparative analysis of workplace power developed in the coal study.<br>
2. Using this methodology to identify the range and amount of power of Local Departmental Committee representatives (managers and `shop stewards') over workplace activity.<br>
3. To compare their activities and power with that of local NUM representatives in the coal industry.<br>
4. To compare the activities and power of the NUR Local Departmental Committee (LDC) representatives with those of ASLEF LDC representatives.<br>
5. To identify the structural, economic and attitudinal factors related to their activities and their power in order to explore further the relationships identified in the coal industry study.<br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>Variables<br>
The data consists of a set of secondary variables created from a number of primary data sets:-<br>
(1) Measures of power derived from a decision analysis.<br>
(2) Measures of size, &lt;i&gt;performance&lt;/i&gt;, industrial action from &lt;i&gt;background&lt;/i&gt; data collected for each location.<br>
(3) A questionnaire on attitudes to work, union and the LDC., etc., sent to a sample of ordinary railmen (i.e. not LDC representatives).<br>
(4) Questionnaires sent to all LDC representatives on their role, relationships, attitudes, etc.<br>
(5) A questionnaire handed to a spokesman representative from each LDC concerning role, relationships, attitudes, etc.<br>
(6) A questionnaire handed to management chairman of LDCs concerning role, relationships, attitudes, etc<br>
(7) An interview schedule administered to the management chairman and LDC spokesman about their involvement and influence in decision making.<br>
Measurement Scales<br>
For measurements of power, see Edwards, C.Y., 'Measuring union power: a comparison of two methods applied to the study of local union power in the coal industry', &lt;i&gt;British Journal of Industrial Relations&lt;/i&gt; V. 16 (1) 1978 and Edwards, C.Y., 'Power and decision making in the workplace: a study in the coal mining industry', &lt;i&gt;Industrial Relations Journal&lt;/i&gt; V. 14 (1) 1983