Proper instruction The author stresses the need for employers to
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take great care that junior managers and supervisors are properly instructed about the implications of Section 34 of the IR Act. From December 1 all written collective agreements will be conclusively presumed to be binding between the parties unless the contrary is expressed. "The change may have a sharp impact because of the great variety in written collective agreements, the relative informality that characterizes amendments from time to time, and the lack of experience among British industrialists which entitles them to proceed with confidence in negotiation of binding collective agreements." Although some firms with USA links may be able to call on expertise acquired through negotiations of binding agreements, British firms hoping to employ the skill of lawyers expert in contract negotiations are likely to be disappointed. The Commercial laws of contract are in no sense analogous to industrial relations practice.
This book, by no means the first commentary on the Act, has been written with the benefit of many interchanges between the author and industrialists at seminars. The publishers intend to re-issue annually with updated information relating to court interpretations, etc, of the Act's complexities. This will be a useful service to industry. The first volume is well indexed and the commentary bears evidence of painstaking research. The author's knowledge of law and economics and the considerable insight he shows into practical industrial relations matters makes this manual a good buy. J. D.