Trade Union renewal – lessons from the UK Carl Roper, National Organiser, Trades Union Congress

Union membership 1970 to 2010 The total number of union members is recorded by the Certification Officer from membership returns which have to be submitted annually by each trade union. The Cert Officer’s records indicate that the total number of members rose to a high point of around 13 million in 1979, having risen more or less continuously since the 1930s. Since then, there has been a more or less continual decline, such that there are now around 7.3m members: just under 60% of the figure in 1979.

A game of two halves – 1979 to 1997 Significant decline in membership Density fell 30 percentage points between 78-98 Lost 5 million members

Why? External factors Political Hostile government Restrictive legislation Industrial Economic Unemployment – Av 1979-1997: 9%

A game of two halves – 1998 to 2008 Membership ‘stabilised’ Density: Fell 2.5% percentage points 98-08 3,000 new recognition agreements from 1995 Covered potentially 1.3m new members ‘Gender gap’ closed

Why? External factors Change of government in 97 Better legislative framework Unemployment: 1979-1997: 9% 1997 on: 5.4% 2.5m more jobs 600,000 new public sector jobs

Internally - a real shift in focus New Unionism project/Organising Academy - 1998 2008 survey of 20 unions: 18 out of 19 unions say that they have a national/regional organising strategy or are developing one 11 have national organising teams and seven have regional capacity Almost all report that there expenditure on organising and recruitment has increased in recent years Sectoral organising, supply chain organising, union lead work on learning and skills, community organising Growth across a range of TUC unions

Internal and external barriers to growth More organising ‘talk’ than practice. Failure to engage lay reps. Using our existing resources effectively. The UK’s framework of industrial relations law Failure of unions to ‘crack’ the private service sector The rise of the ‘never member’ Increased privatisation and outsourcing (Some) hostile employers Smaller, more fragmented workplaces We don’t organise to scale

A new approach? WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND… Hostile government Programme of cuts and public service ‘reform’ No immediate prospect of a legislative solution Oases of unionism in non-union deserts ‘More of the same’ won’t be enough

Challenges that remain… Organising to scale Extending our influence Raising awareness of unions, and…

UK membership concentration in the public sector 1995-2010

UK Collective Bargaining 1996 - 2010

EU Collective Bargaining

Rise of the never members

What more can we do? FUTURE STRATEGIES? Link capacity building to strategy and leverage Organising strategies more integrated into ‘everyday’ union work Smarter and more outcome focused campaigns Organise to scale Do more of what we are doing, and do it better! Reps and activists Resources 3m non-members in unionised workplaces Innovate and explore ‘new’ approaches Use our campaigning work to promote trade unionism - in the community and in the workplace Develop a coherent set of political ‘asks’ Develop a narrative about the new economy, the ‘good society’ and the role of unions

Ways to combine managers bureaucracy CLIENTS SOCIAL SERVICE organisers Civic Organisation Members/Citizens SOCIAL ACTION entrepreneurs markets CUSTOMERS SOCIAL MARKETING

Defining organising 1 Its about the union drawing its strength from its good workplace organisation – that means high membership/density, good bargaining coverage and the presence of workplace reps and activists. Whatever else we do, wherever else we operate, if we don’t have strong workplace organisation then our power and influence is limited.

Defining organising 2 It’s not about ‘organising vs. servicing’ because representation is important! All unions need to be able to represent and service their members BUT the key is how is this done Issues and concerns should as far as possible be dealt with by well-trained, local workplace reps Freeing up union officers and staff to play a more strategic, facilitating role.

Defining organising 3 Campaigning is KEY! Campaigning that is VALUES and ISSUES focused Campaigns that are targeted – who can give us what we want? Campaigns that develop leverage – what will make the target give us what we want? Campaigns that are empowering – they create opportunities for activity and build capacity

Some questions to consider What are the challenges facing your unions How has its strategy and practice developed What are its strengths and limitations

“In democratic countries, knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others.“ Alexis de Tocqueville