Joint Industrial Council
Encyclopedia
A Joint Industrial Council (JIC) or National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), known as a Whitley Council in some fields, especially white-collar and government, is a statutory council of employers and trade union
s established in the United Kingdom
and elsewhere. It is a workplace partnership institution that serves for a forum of consultation between employees and employers. Councils were established from 1919. They typically worked to determine wage
rates, terms and conditions in a specific industry. There were dozens of JICs, one for each industry. Most JICs were established between the 1920s and the 1940s. The larger JICs also had regional councils throughout the country and some industries had separate JICs for England and Wales
, Scotland
and Northern Ireland
.
, in 1917, John Henry Whitley
was appointed to chair a committee, which soon produced a Report on the Relations of Employers and Employees in the wake of the establishment of the shop stewards movement and the widespread protest action against dilution
. The smooth running of industry was vital to the war effort so maintaining good industrial relations was a priority.
He proposed a system of regular formal consultative meetings between workers and employers, known to this day as "Whitley Councils". These would be empowered to cover any issue related to pay and conditions of service, and to take matters through to arbitration if necessary. This was a strong model which was to influence industrial relations in Canada, Australia and elsewhere.
The intention was to establish Whitley councils in the private sector, in particular in those industries most affected by the strike wave - to offset the demand for 'Workers' control
' - a demand which was rapidly gaining ground after the Russian revolution
.
However, the councils failed to gain ground in coal, cotton, engineering and other heavy industries, but succeeded only in the sphere of government employment where they remain a major feature of public sector
industrial relations
to this day.
. This typically includes:
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s established in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and elsewhere. It is a workplace partnership institution that serves for a forum of consultation between employees and employers. Councils were established from 1919. They typically worked to determine wage
Wage
A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees...
rates, terms and conditions in a specific industry. There were dozens of JICs, one for each industry. Most JICs were established between the 1920s and the 1940s. The larger JICs also had regional councils throughout the country and some industries had separate JICs for England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Background
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, in 1917, John Henry Whitley
John Henry Whitley
John Henry Whitley , often known as J. H. Whitley, was a respected and successful British politician whose life and career spanned a period of significant social change, from roots in the heart of the Industrial Revolution through to the inter-war period.- Family and early career :John Henry...
was appointed to chair a committee, which soon produced a Report on the Relations of Employers and Employees in the wake of the establishment of the shop stewards movement and the widespread protest action against dilution
Female roles in the World Wars
There is little doubt that levi richardson is the man. he loves all the women of the world. even liz women's work in the two World Wars of the twentieth century was an important factor in the outcome of both wars...
. The smooth running of industry was vital to the war effort so maintaining good industrial relations was a priority.
He proposed a system of regular formal consultative meetings between workers and employers, known to this day as "Whitley Councils". These would be empowered to cover any issue related to pay and conditions of service, and to take matters through to arbitration if necessary. This was a strong model which was to influence industrial relations in Canada, Australia and elsewhere.
The intention was to establish Whitley councils in the private sector, in particular in those industries most affected by the strike wave - to offset the demand for 'Workers' control
Workers' control
Workers' control is a term meaning participation in the management of factories and other commercial enterprises by the people who work there. It has been variously advocated by anarchists, socialists, Communists, Social Democrats and Christian Democrats, and has been combined with various...
' - a demand which was rapidly gaining ground after the Russian revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
.
However, the councils failed to gain ground in coal, cotton, engineering and other heavy industries, but succeeded only in the sphere of government employment where they remain a major feature of public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
industrial relations
Labor relations
Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary field that studies the employment relationship. Industrial relations is increasingly being called employment relations because of the importance of non-industrial employment relationships. Many outsiders also equate industrial relations to labour relations...
to this day.
Membership
Whitley Councils comprise employee representatives, often referred to as the "Staff Side" and employer representatives, also known as the "Official Side".Constitution
Whitley Councils usually have a formally agreed constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. This typically includes:
- General objectives and functions - generally to "seek co-operation and agreement" on any matters appropriate to the level of jurisdiction of the committee, including, for example, pay, conditions of service, training, equality of opportunity, staff ideas, office accommodation, machinery, organisation, processes, procedures and policies.
- Membership - the composition of each side may be defined and limited in number, though it is normal that each side is responsible for deciding its membership. Often, either side may co-opt members to speak on specific areas of specialism.
- Officers - the senior executive of the official side is usually the chair and a representative of the staff side nominated as vice-chair. Each side may have a secretary who may or may not be a full member of the council. In the UK, Whitley Councils at government departmentalDepartments of the United Kingdom GovernmentHer Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Cabinet ministers who are usually called secretaries of state when they are in charge of Government departments called ministerial departments...
level may be chaired by the Permanent SecretaryPermanent SecretaryThe Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
. - Committees - the main committee may delegate responsibility to sub-committees e.g. to cover matters relating to pay and conditions of service, health and safety, etc.
- Decisions - sometimes a constitution will contain an explicit directive that decisions taken will be executed within a reasonable time frame.
- Disputes - sometimes the informal and formal stages of dispute resolution are specified.
- Meetings - frequency, location, agenda, quorumQuorumA quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
etc. - MinutesMinutesMinutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting, starting with a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.Minutes may be...
- covering responsibility for drafting, agreeing, distributing and publishing minutes and the time scales for these. - Finance and Facilities - typically each side is responsible for its own expenses. The employer normally provides reasonable paid time to prepare for and attend meetings.
- Amendment - the manner in which amendments to the constitution can be made.