The Blue-Coated Worker
A Sociological Study of Police Unionism

This 1978 study considers the development of British police unionization, and the views of the police themselves towards unionism.

Robert Reiner (Author)

9780521294829, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 7 September 1978

308 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.46 kg

This 1978 book addresses the way in which police unions had become increasingly militant and formed a significant political force, demanding better pay and conditions and a say in social and penal policy. In this study, Robert Reiner considers the development of British police unionization, and the views of the police themselves towards unionism. Dr Reiner is able to relate these two issues to one another particularly insightfully as a result of his interviews with a sample of policemen in a large city force, which illustrate the policeman's world-view. The central contention of the book is that the police occupy a contradictory position in class structure. Economically they are employees who form unions to advance their interests like other workers, but their political role of preserving the social order imposes special inhibitions on the character of their unionism, and can alienate them from other trade unionists.

Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. Introduction and Historical Background: 1. Introduction to the study of police unionism
2. The history and structure of the Police Federation
Part II. Police Attitudes to Unionism: 3. Policemen's evaluation of the Federation
4. Evaluation of specific Federation activities
5. Policemen's desire for unionism
6. The goals an institutionalisation of representation
7. the Federationists and the men
8. Attitudes to unionism outside the force
Part III. The Police as an Occupation: 9. The background and initial orientation of policemen
10. Orientation to work
11. Police and outside society
12. Understanding police unionism a typology
Part IV. Conclusions: 13. Conclusions and implications of the study
Postscript and appendices
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Sociology & anthropology [JH]