近代英国劳资争议仲裁制的兴起

The Rise of Industrial Arbitration in Modern Britain

作为一种和平方式的争议解决手段,仲裁制在近代英国劳资关系领域广为流行。从实践层面看,工业化时期的仲裁制经历了从治安法官主导下的官方仲裁向劳资双方自愿仲裁的转变,由此在一定程度上促进了工业化时期劳资关系的缓和。从立法层面看,19世纪上半叶的英国政府通过颁布一系列仲裁法案,试图以法律的强制方式来推进仲裁制的实施。然而,仲裁法案的强制原则与民间仲裁的自愿原则相背离,致使法案鲜有成效。近代英国劳资争议仲裁制的兴起,一方面反映出劳资关系领域政府角色的转变,即从传统的家长制干预转向近代的自由放任;另一方面也标志着一种自治型的冲突化解机制的诞生,并为19世纪后半叶集体谈判制的兴起奠定了基础。

As a peaceful way of dispute settlement,the industrial arbitration used to be very popular in modern Britain. Official arbitrations led by magistrates were gradually replaced by voluntary arbitrations initiated by both sides,leading to a moderation of labor-capital relationship in the age of industrialization. In the early 19~th century,the government enacted a series of acts to facilitate the enforcement of arbitration. However,these acts contradicted the volition of people and were largely ineffective. On the one hand,the rise of industrial arbitration reflected the changing role of the government in labor-capital relationship, from the traditional patriarchal intervener to a modern laissez-faire overseer. On the other hand, it marked the establishment of an autonomous reconciliation mechanism which provided the basis for the mechanism of collective bargaining in the late 19~th century.