Unbinding rationality: a single‐union agreement for contractors at a UK oil refinery

Aims to determine why, in this “critical case”, a single‐union agreement was implemented in a top‐down manner, affected only contractors and was unique. Reports on in‐depth interviews of a representative sample of 20 managers, contractors, trade union officials and industry body representatives to triangulate archival data supplied by the refinery. Environmental changes were similar for all UK refineries. The implementation of a single‐union agreement is the result of a number of these but, crucially, new appointments in the case study refinery served to break with tradition. Suggests, however, that management does not always perceive itself to be a powerful agency; rather, it seems to need to proceed carefully and rationally in order to establish its own legitimacy to its peer group and within its own executive group to maintain its credibility as professional. States that this was an uncertain and risky venture, especially for a bureaucratic major oil company sensitive to public opinion.