> Don't those kinds of industrial research jobs also usually require the kind of publication track record that you have to acquire in academia to survice?

Yes.

> Do industrial research labs really employ freshly minted PhDs - who probably haven't acquired the most important skill in modern research: the politics of attracting funding/backing?

Yes. How do you expect freshly minted PhDs to learn the art of attracting funding and backing?

It is actually very common to go to a research facility after a PhD. Anyone with a doctorate from a reputable program will have a list of publications that demonstrate a clearly defined interest and quite possibly even grants. For those that aren't at the level of a research scientist, there are often post-doctoral fellowships. If the companies are large enough, grants are less of an issue because there is a built-in R&D budget. There is less of the panhandling you see in academia.