Developments in membership of unions and employers' organisations
Published: 27 August 2000
Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå, SSB) released new figures concerning the membership of trade unions and employers' organisations in May 2000. SSB's statistics show an increase in the number of trade union members in 1999 which was relatively modest, especially when compared with previous years. According to SSB, there were approximately 1,485,000 union members at the end of 1999, which represents a marginal increase of 5,000 on the 1998 figure. However, these are total figures that include groups such as pensioners, and the net figure is thus somewhat lower. Growth in the national employment rate fell off in 1999, but the number of people entering employment was nevertheless twice that of new union members. As such, it must be presumed that trade union density in 1999 is likely to have continued its slow downward trend, which was an intrinsic feature of Norwegian industrial relations over much of the 1990s, along with an increasing employment rate. The same modest increases were also recorded with regard to membership of employers' organisations in 1999
In May 2000, Statistics Norway released new statistics on the membership of trade unions and employers' organisations in Norway. There was a relatively modest increase in the total memberships of the various organisations in 1999, and the figures indicate a continuation of trends in density levels seen in previous years, and notably a slight fall in union density.
Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå, SSB) released new figures concerning the membership of trade unions and employers' organisations in May 2000. SSB's statistics show an increase in the number of trade union members in 1999 which was relatively modest, especially when compared with previous years. According to SSB, there were approximately 1,485,000 union members at the end of 1999, which represents a marginal increase of 5,000 on the 1998 figure. However, these are total figures that include groups such as pensioners, and the net figure is thus somewhat lower. Growth in the national employment rate fell off in 1999, but the number of people entering employment was nevertheless twice that of new union members. As such, it must be presumed that trade union density in 1999 is likely to have continued its slow downward trend, which was an intrinsic feature of Norwegian industrial relations over much of the 1990s, along with an increasing employment rate. The same modest increases were also recorded with regard to membership of employers' organisations in 1999
Trade union membership
After a period of relatively substantial growth in trade union membership from 1996 to 1998, the 1999 figures seem to indicate that this growth has slowed down (see table 1 below). In 1996, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO) increased its membership by approximately 20,000, and altogether there was a general increase in union membership of some 40,000 in that year. In 1997, the overall increase in membership dropped to approximately 29,000, and in 1998 there was a further decline in the growth of trade union members to 23,000. The new SSB figures show that trade union membership growth in 1999 was a meagre 5,000. In 1999, LO recorded a fall in membership, as did the Confederation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikernes Fellesorganisasjon, AF), which was hard hit by a process of disintegration that started in the autumn of 1997 (NO0007199F). The two other confederations, the Confederation for Vocational Unions (Yrkesorganisasjonenes Sentralforbund, YS) and Akademikerne- to which AF has lost most of its members - have witnessed a relatively modest increase in their membership.
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,426,837 | 1,456,532 | 1,479,634 | 1,485,065 |
| LO | 811,423 | 822,434 | 838,306 | 828,431 |
| YS | 223,524 | 230,644 | 238,491 | 243,387 |
| AF | 237,445 | 245,869 | 160,776 | 116,573 |
| Akademikerne | - | - | 101,804 | 114,790 |
| Others | 154,445 | 157,585 | 140,257 | 181,884 |
Source: Statistics Norway, 2000.
Despite the significant increases in union membership during the 1990s, union density dropped in the same period, which can only be explained by the significant growth witnessed in employment since 1993. Over the period 1993-8, employment increased by 257,000 persons while trade union membership increased by only 106,000 (see table 2 below). The fall in union density may thus be explained by the failure of unions to recruit new employees entering the labour market. Although estimates vary according to data sources utilised, they all seem to indicate to various degrees a slight drop in union density in this period. Union density estimates based on membership records are among the most reliable, and indicate a drop in density from 57.3% in 1990 to 54.9% in 1998 (see table 2).
| . | LO | YS | AF | Akademikerne | Independent unions | Total union density |
| 1990 | 602,235 | 164,842 | 168,006 | - | 98,628 | 57.3% |
| 1991 | 583,099 | 167,188 | 173,719 | - | 98,519 | 56.9% |
| 1992 | 573,439 | 170,871 | 177,620 | - | 100,633 | 57.0% |
| 1993 | 562,921 | 174,955 | 181,287 | - | 104,359 | 56.9% |
| 1994 | 568,207 | 177,561 | 186,528 | - | 109,787 | 56.8% |
| 1995 | 580,729 | 181,065 | 190,417 | - | 108,929 | 56.4% |
| 1996 | 589,283 | 184,329 | 199,575 | - | 111,772 | 55.6% |
| 1997 | 593,875 | 188,786 | 196,321 | 10,827 | 111,160 | 54.7% |
| 1998 | 605,151 | 192,697 | 134,198 | 78,999 | 118,200 | 54.9% |
Source: "Organisasjonsgrader i norsk arbeidsliv 1945-1998", Torgeir Aarvaag Stokke, Fafo, 1998 ..
Significant variations in trade union density
In SSB's 1998 Labour Force Survey, questions concerning union membership were included on the request of the FAFO Institute for Applied Social Science. The survey shows significant variations in union density between the public and private sectors and between the various branches of the economy ("Organisasjonsgrad og tariffavtaledekning målt ved AKU 2. kvartal 1998", Kristine Nergaard, Fafo, 1999). In the private sector, 43% of wage earners are unionised, while in the public sector the equivalent figure is 83%. Union density is at its lowest in the wholesale and retail trade and in the hotels and restaurant sector, where only 20%-30% of wage earners are union members. Branches that are fully or partly in the public sector have the highest union density. Within the private sector, branches such as banking and insurance and manufacturing have the highest level of organised employees.
The survey also shows that union density is at its lowest among the youngest wage earners. Among employees under the age of 25 years, only one in four are unionised. Union density is highest among employees between the ages of 40 and 65 years. Women are more likely to be union members than men, which may be explained by the fact that women are more often employed in the public sector, where union density is high. The proportion of unionised employees also increases according to length of education. This may partly be explained by the fact that a large proportion of those with a higher education are employed in the public sector. However, in both the private and the public sectors, groups with higher education (at postgraduate level) are more likely to be union members.
Employers' organisations
SSB has also published up-to-date figures for the memberships of nationwide employers' organisations. Data concerning employer organisation and density are not as readily available and as reliable as they are for trade unions, because there is no tradition for calculating them. The figures that do exist, however, indicate that employers' organisations witnessed a steady increase in their membership base during the 1990s. While private sector employers are represented by more than 30 associations, the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon, NHO) and the Federation of Norwegian Commercial and Service Enterprises (Handels- og Servicenæringens Hovedorganisasjon, HSH) are by far the largest confederations. Both confederations saw slight increases in their memberships in 1999 (see table 3).
The private sector employers' organisation density rate, measured as employees of member firms of employers' organisations as a proportion of all private sector employees, has remained relatively stable throughout the 1990s, at between 53% and 57%, without any long-term upward or downward trend over period. Satisfactory figures for employers' organisation density in 1998 and 1999 are not available. The most recent estimates indicate an density of 54.9% in 1997 (see "Organisasjonsgrader i norsk arbeidsliv 1945-1998", Torgeir Aarvaag Stokke, Fafo, 1998).
| . | 1998 | 1999 | ||
| . | Companies | Employees | Companies | Employees |
| HSH | 9,250 | 130,000 | 9,523 | 150,000 |
| NHO | 15,284 | 412,323 | 15,624 | 423,362 |
Source: Statistics Norway, 1999.
Commentary
Union density among employees in Norway is lower than in the other Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark and Finland). One explanation for this is that Norwegian unions are not involved in the administration of unemployment insurance funds, as they are in the other countries. At the same time, union density in Norway is relatively high compared to other European countries. In relation to employers' organisation density, Norwegian employers' organisations seem to be more in line with their Nordic counterparts.
Time series on union density, calculated on the basis of the unions' membership figures, indicate that union density in Norway has remained relatively stable over the past 40 years, and there are no signs of it retreating significantly (see "Utmeldinger i LO-forbundene på 1990-tallet", Torgeir Aarvaag Stokke, Fafo, 1998). However, certain important developments have changed the organisational setting. In the past 20-30 years, there has been a shift in the membership base of LO and the other union organisations, in favour of the latter. One important reason for this is that LO has been able in only a limited way to accommodate groups with university-level education (NO9901110F).
Over time, employment has fallen in the industrial sector (a sector with relatively high union density), while at the same time there has been a growth in employment in private sector services and the public sector. This trend has led to changes in the unions' membership base. In 1998, approximately half of all unionised employees were employed in the public sector, and only one in five were employed in the industrial sector. Furthermore, in 1998 women constituted more than 50% of the unions' total membership. (Haavard Lismoen, FAFO Institute for Applied Social Science)
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2000), Developments in membership of unions and employers' organisations, article.
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