During the 1980s, unions faced significant challenges and losses, in a context of rapid expansion and influence. Before the 1979 Conservative election victory it was typically voluntarist, with minor legislative intervention. (Gallie et al, 1996). Two strikes in particular, the miners' strike and the News International industrial dispute, changed the face of industrial relations in the UK. The conduct and outcome of the disputes have led to significant changes regarding the role of the state, the role of employers and the power of trade unions in contemporary industrial relations. This essay will critically evaluate the conduct of trade unions, the State, miners and the police, consider the changing role of the State and the police towards industrial action and the effect that the conduct and outcome of the strike has had today. industrial relations. Before the 1984 miners' strike, the NUM was in a very strong and powerful position, having defeated the government in 1972 and 1974 on wage levels. However, unlike 1984, the miners voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionizing and going on strike, thus causing major disruption as the UK was heavily dependent on coal at the time. These defeats were certainly believed to have contributed to the fall of the previous Conservative government in 1974. (Richards, 1996), as the government had to declare a state of emergency, the strikers remained united and no miners broke off either strike. As a result in 1974 the government called a general election and famously asked “who rules Britain”, the government or the miners? (Beynon)The 1984 strike, in comparison was a fight to save mining jobs and communities, the Conservative government had regained some......half of paper...the popular tactic is to threaten to damage reputation of the employer. (Staff today, 2012). ACAS, on the other hand, highlights the positive role played by unions in resolving workplace disputes and that union officials were more likely to take a conciliatory rather than adversarial approach when negotiating with employers. (ACAS, 2011) In conclusion, employment relationships have changed significantly since the 1980s. The decline in union membership triggered initially by the defeats of the miners' and press unions, together with the legal constraints on unions introduced by the Conservative government and mostly maintained by the Labor Party, have all combined to reduce the impact of unions on the occupation today. relations. However, unions and employers are adapting to these changes and adopting different approaches to managing industrial relations.