From Rigid to Flexible Employment Practices in UK Commercial Television: a Case of Government Led Reform

Abstract

The article locates the forces precipitating the radical changes in employment practices in British Commercial Television since the mid 1980s and proceeds to discuss the various dintensions of these employment reforms jron1 a "flexible firm" perspective. It is argued that perceived pressure from government, rather than jron1 the product market, triggered the unilateral imposition by management of "flexible" employment practices. In addition, key industrial events in British comnzercial television, such as the dissolution of national multi-employer collective bargaining arrangenzents and the strike and lockout at TVam, combined with the numerous changes to national labour relations legislation, shifted the balance of industrial power to management. This allowed "flexible" practices to be introduced nzore rapidly and without disruptive opposition from the broadcasting unions. Whilst the new "flexible" employment arrangetnents have reduced labour costs dramatically in the short term, some of the practices are inconsistent, resulting in employee morale and product quality problems. With governments in New Zealand and Australia pursuing a variety of policies to inject greater "flexibility" and less regulation into product markets, labour I markets and work places, they should pay close attention to the lessons that can be learnt from the British commercial television experience. The impact upon productivity, work practices, and employment levels of politically instigated employmnent change is of importance to an industry; facing such circumstances. It is also contributes to the wider debate on the origins and nature of employment flexibility and changes in industrial relations.