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

2. 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.

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

4. Why? External factors Political Hostile government
Restrictive legislation
Industrial
Economic
Unemployment – Av : 9%

5. 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

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

7. Internally - a real shift in focus
New Unionism project/Organising Academy
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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. UK membership concentration in the public sector 1995-2010

12. UK Collective Bargaining

13. EU Collective Bargaining

14. Rise of the never members

15. 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

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

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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

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

21. “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