by Kate Holman in Brussels
A new study from the European Union’s industrial relations observatory highlights how trade unions across Europe are adapting their strategies to deal with falling membership in crisis-hit sectors and a new industrial landscape.
The report from the Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions notes that the drop in union membership in most EU countries has generated a wave of organising initiatives, many inspired by the United States.
And as trade unionists have become more diverse in terms of gender, age, ethnic background, education and qualifications, unions have grown more willing to experiment with different membership arrangements.
The study lists factors undermining union organisation – including the decline in manufacturing, outsourcing in the public sector, globalisation and management trends towards individualised personnel relations.
Yet not all EU countries have followed the pattern. In Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Malta, union density increased in recent decades – in Finland rising from 32 per cent in 1960 to 72 per cent in 2006 – although only Belgium has sustained this growth through the recession. In Ireland, unions have increased their membership while density has fallen, possibly reflecting the expansion of jobs since the 1990s.
In Britain, the report notes the decline in union density since the 1980s, generating a wave of campaigns to boost recruitment. “These initiatives only showed limited results and no substantial changes occurred in the declining trends, even if the pace of decline slowed down.”
But the picture is not all doom and gloom. Eurofound points out that women’s membership has jumped in recent years, although they are still under-represented in leadership positions. Unions maintain an influence over employment and economic policy-making, through social dialogue. And increased co-operation with countries outside the EU, such as Australia and the US, is bringing in new organising techniques and experience.
