The paper examines the changes in employee relations in the UK over the past decades offering a case study of British Petroleum (BP) and considering industrial relations and trade union (TU) activities in the historical context, i.e. from the strike movement of the 1970s, to the TU decline of the 1980s with the later replacement of TU by HR practices. The outsourcing of the HR function by BP is discussed; the current role of TU is evaluated. Recommendations are suggested for BP to enter partnership unions.