. The government wanted people to think more individually. Mrs Thatcher viewed that the collectivist way of thinking would get in the way of the governments policies, and that it was in the way of freeing market forces. Mrs Thatcher viewed collectivist views in Trade Unions as Barriers to the achievement of government objectives Industrial Relations, Theory and Practice, P15There have been many explanations for the decrease in Trade Union recognition. Metcalf (1991,P22) see the decline in the membership as being due to five factors. He views the changes as beingA complex interaction of five factors1. The macroeconomic climate2. The composition of the workforce3. The policy of the state4. Attitudes and the conducts of the employers and the stance taken by the unions themselves Industrial Relations, Theory and Practice, P22During the 1980s unemployment was significantly high and Trade Union membership was slowly decreasing. During the 1980s, there was record unemployment and as people left jobs they left unions behind. In 1979, Trade Union membership stood at 13.2 million yet by 1992, it had fallen to 9 millionEmployment Gazette, June 1994There was a great decrease in the numbers employed in the manufacturing sectors due to high unit costs and increased competition from overseas, these manufacturing sectors being highly unionised closed shop employers.As employment within the manufacturing sector was slowly decreasing, the service sector was expanding with new positions becoming available in modern none unionised environments, there was also a great increase in part-time work. The changes also showed a significant increase in female part-time employees and professional managerial and highly skilled work.The Conservative government from 1979 also took great steps to decrease the power of trade unions and to develop anti-union legislation. This legislation one Act every two years was to eventually to reduce the power of Trade ...
