The BREAK-UP of the UNION?
FEWER PEOPLE THAN EVER ARE MEMBERS OF TRADE UNIONS
THE proportion of employees who are trade union members has slumped to a record low.
New figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show there were 6.2 million employees in the UK who were members of trade unions in 2017.
They accounted for less than a quarter (23.2 per cent) of all employees in the labour force the lowest rate in recent history.
In 1995, when modern records began, nearly a third of all employees (32.4 per cent) were members of a trade union - or 7.1 million employees. Since then the proportion of the workforce in a union has been in a state of decline. By 2007, only 28.0 per cent of the workforce were trade union members, and the number has continued to fall since then. The data shows public-sector workers are far more likely to be in a union than those in the private sector. In 2017, only 13.5 per cent of people working for businesses were union members, compared to 51.8 per cent of employees whose jobs are funded by the taxpayer.
In terms of individual sectors of the economy, those working in education were most likely to be union members (48.1 per cent), while those working in accommodation and food were the least (2.9 per cent).
One possible reason for the slump in membership is the rise of the so-called gig economy - short-term contracts and freelance work, as opposed to long-term permanent jobs.
Data for 2017 shows some 15 per cent of the labour workforce (or 4.8 million people) was self-employed, up from the 12 per cent (or 3.3 million people) in 2001.
Paul Novak, general secretary for the Trades Union Congress, said: “Membership was hit hard by the antiunion laws from Conservative governments in the 1980s and 1990s.
“New employment practices have made it harder for unions to organise and recruit, with millions of people in short-lived insecure jobs.
“But unions remain a vital force for working people – they are the largest membership organisations in the country.
“Unionised workers have higher wages and better conditions. You are safer, thanks to trade union health and safety reps. You get help improving skills, thanks to trade union education reps. “If you suffer unfair treatment you can get expert advice and representation, instead of being up against it alone. “We must encourage more young workers to join by innovating to keep up with the changing world of work. From McDonalds to TGI Fridays, Uber to Sports Direct, unions are helping young people get a voice and win at work.” Trade unions can help campaign for better workplace conditions