Concession Bargaining: The British Experience

Abstract

In the United States, the phenomenon of “concession bargaining”, whereby management seeks to obtain wage freezes or actual cuts in wages, is being widely discussed by both researchers and practitioners. In contrast, in Britain, it has been little discussed, although considerable media attention has been given to the case of the Hyster forklift truck factory in Scotland where management were seeking to cut the pay bill by some 9.8 per cent and eliminate attendance and time‐keeping bonuses.