Industrial democarcy in Great Britain; book of readings and witnesses for worker's control

The issue of workers' control in British industry is once more in the air. As a concept, as something still to be achieved, industrial democracy has a long and rich history in fields outside the usual political arenas. The newly-awakened movement that revives the wish to see workers given a voice in business affairs is, in this book, given its essential historical per spective. From the days of 'wage-slavery' we might at last be moving into a period of fully-responsible control of industry by those who make the wealth in this country. While this notion has generally been scoffed at-by working-class tories as much as members of the capitalist groups-there is now a formidable body of evidence and thought to give it substance and weight.

The editors' theme is treated in four main sections: the first covers the years from 1900 to 1920, when people like Tom Mann, James Connolly, G. D. H. Cole were re-discovering ideas of syndicalism, indus trial unionism, guild socialism and so on. The second traces the development of the shop stewards' move ment on the shop floors. Much of this material is especially interesting so far as the period 1941-45 is concerned. Section three deals with the nationalised industries relations to unions, and here the centre of interest lies in the relations between the unions and Herbert Morrison in the thirties and beyond. The last section deals with the re-invigorated growth of the post-war efforts to establish some form of workers control. It is the conviction of the editors that the movement they document so thoroughly has only just begun to develop seriously and it is there fore something that both business and political parties will have to take increasing account of. The book is both anthology and guide to one of the im portant issues of our time.