Background
Academic Background
Born in Highgate, North London and educated at Highgate School.
BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Queen’s College, Oxford University 1967-1970
MSc in Business Management, London Graduate School of Business Studies, 1970-1972.
PhD in Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, 1972-1975.
Academic and Industrial Experience
Worked for Incomes Data Service in London
From 1992-2008 Professor of Industrial Relations and Director of the Centre for Industrial Relations at Keele University, and since 1998 Head of the Department of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations, and since 2002 Director of the Centre for Dispute Resolution.
I am or have been a visiting professor and external examiner at various universities in the UK (Warwick, Swansea, Salford, Wolverhampton, Hertfordshire, Christ Church Canterbury, Paisley) and overseas (Malawi, Zimbabwe, China).
I was President of British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA), 1999-2003;
I was a member of the British Commonwealth Universities panel, 2004-2008
I am used as an independent evaluator for a variety of management projects, including with Eden Vale Company; the Fire Service; TUC; the National Statistics Office; health services; British Aerospace; Van Leer corporation. For unions including: UNISON, FBU, Police Federation; RMT, PCS, RCN and UNITE. Also I do work with ACAS and the IER. For government: ACAS; Department of Health; and civil service
I appear on a regular basis on TV and radio, and write for newspapers and non-academic journals on issues of employment.
Recent radio and TV appearances in 2009 include the World at One, the Westminster Hour, BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC West Midlands, and BBC Radio Stoke on issues such as the British Airways dispute, Postal dispute, the Oil Refinery dispute, the relations between the TUC and the Labour Party, strikes and union power.
In 2010 I have been interviewed about the disputes at British Airways, British Gas, Network Rail, and the civil service; and about strikes and unions in general. TV appearances include on Sky News and BBC News. Radio include BBC Radio 4 and 5; Radio Wales, Stoke, Solent, Oxford, London, Merseyside, and West Midlands.