British HRM professionals following the merger of their organisations, and pre-
vious consolidations at UK level. The following quote is from a Swedish man-
ager (Communal, 1999: 194):
In the UK they have a grading system. This grading system is
very important. Now they have a problem when they merge
different parts together and change the structure. They have
trouble because they mix different grading systems within the
same unit. I asked them: ‘What do you have them for? We don’t
have any grading systems.’ They said: ‘How can you manage
without grading systems?’ Then we started to discuss what do
they have them for and what do we do instead. So, for instance,
making sure that you do not belong to the same grade as your
subordinates is important in the UK (more than in Sweden). I
think that this reflects the society. For example, when you move
up a grade, you get a better car. I think that the grading system
in some way reflects the society outside. In Sweden the
differences between salaries is not very much, the range of
salaries in our society is very narrow.170 International Human Resource ManagementEuropean Union Social Charter
The European Union Charter of Fundamental Social Rights or the ‘Social Charter’
lists the following 12 as major areas to be addressed:- the freedom of movement
- employment and remuneration
- improvement of living and working conditions
- social protection
- freedom of association
- vocational training
- equal treatment for men and women
- information, consultation and participation of workers
- health protection
- protection of children and adolescents
- protection of elderly persons, and
- protection of disabled persons
After lengthy negotiations that intensified from May to December 1989, the
Charter was signed by all member states except the UK at the Strasbourg summit
in December 1989. The Labour government elected in the UK in 1997 accepted
the social charter for the UK as well.TABLE 7.1