Workplace injury and voice: a comparison of management and union perceptions

Abstract

This article moves beyond the existing institutional focus on union representation and workplace injury by looking at the substance of union representation and participation in the management of occupational health and safety (OHS). The effects on workplace injuries of different configurations of OHS voice (negotiation, consultation, information or ‘none’), as mapped by the perceptions of both management and unions in the same workplace, are explored using the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004. The findings indicate that some participation is better than none, that more inclusive voice configurations are better than those that are less inclusive and that the alignment of voice between management and unions is fundamental to success. The impact of less inclusive participation is also found to be conditioned by the extent of trade union membership in the workplace.