ISSUE FRAMING AND SECTOR CHARACTER AS CRITICAL PARAMETERS FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING‐OUT IN THE UK

This article shows that variations in how two UK governments justified contracting‐out (issue framing), combined with shifting sector‐derived incentives for union activism (sector character), can help explain the extent of contracting‐out. Janitorial service, an activity of the UK government that should have been ‘low hanging fruit' for its prolific reformers, proved difficult to contract‐out for Thatcher's New Right Conservatives, but easier to contract‐out for Blair's New Labour. The New Right government framed contracting‐out narrowly, as merely an improvement in operational efficiency, and its reform faced unions that stood to lose a great deal from movement of janitorial jobs to private firms. In contrast, the New Labour government framed contracting‐out broadly, as a means to efficient social justice, and faced unions with low stakes in government janitors. As a consequence, UK government units could expect lower benefit and higher cost from contracting‐out janitors under Thatcher than they would under Blair.