Webbs on industrial democracy

Sidney and Beatrice Webb were pioneering social scientists and formidable historians of labour relations and industrial organization.They were more than historians - they had a commitment to the systematic analysis of social problems and worked hard to propose effective structures and practices to enable the state to serve the needs of the community as a whole.

Their "History of Trade Unionism", first published in 1894 and revised in two further editions up to the 1920 edition of this collection, along with the complementary work, "Industrial Democracy", published in two volumes in 1897 and reprinted also in a 1920 edition, remain by far the most important works in the history and organization of industrial relations.

Their 1898 collection of essays "Problems of Modern Industry" further explore, among other issues, women and wages, hours of work, the impact of the Factory Acts, and aspects of management offering besides a lively picture of their working methods.

The second edition, of 1902, is reprinted here as it contains a very useful Introduction.