•The
Social Contract
–Explicit
understanding between unions and Labour Party prior to and after 1974 election
–Unions
promised wage restraint in return for legislative changes in bargaining, social and
economic areas
–Labour
party offered
–TUC
response
–Broke
down 1978‑79 “winter of discontent”
Helped produce Thatcher victory
•Social
Contract dramatically increased effective role of TUC in bargaining in that brief
period