According to figures published in spring 2002, the total membership of the professional workers' trade unions affiliated to the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Sveriges Akademikers Centralorganisation, SACO) increased by 4.4% in 2001. This was the biggest annual increase in the history of SACO, which was founded in 1947. SACO's total affiliated membership stood at 514,000 in December 2001, up 21,943 on the December 2000 figure. Of SACO members, around 269,000 are men and 245,000 are women. SACO has 26 affiliated unions, and 19 of them recorded an increase in membership in 2001. The graduate economists' association had the highest increase, at 13%, closely followed by those for civil engineers and lawyers. 'Many workers in the so-called new economy have realised that competent trade unions are valuable in times of restructuring,' commented SACO's recently elected chair, Anna Ekström as the membership figures were released.
According to figures published in spring 2002, Swedish trade unions are facing differing trends in membership. In 2001, the professional workers' unions affiliated to the SACO confederation recorded a membership increase of 4.4%, while the white-collar unions affiliated to TCO experienced a rise of 1.3%. However, the largest confederation, the blue-collar LO, lost 2.6% of its members.
According to figures published in spring 2002, the total membership of the professional workers' trade unions affiliated to the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Sveriges Akademikers Centralorganisation, SACO) increased by 4.4% in 2001. This was the biggest annual increase in the history of SACO, which was founded in 1947. SACO's total affiliated membership stood at 514,000 in December 2001, up 21,943 on the December 2000 figure. Of SACO members, around 269,000 are men and 245,000 are women. SACO has 26 affiliated unions, and 19 of them recorded an increase in membership in 2001. The graduate economists' association had the highest increase, at 13%, closely followed by those for civil engineers and lawyers. 'Many workers in the so-called new economy have realised that competent trade unions are valuable in times of restructuring,' commented SACO's recently elected chair, Anna Ekström as the membership figures were released.
The white-collar Swedish Confederation of Salaried Professionals (Tjänstemännens Centralorganisation, TCO) increased its total affiliated membership by 1.3% (15,804 members) in 2001. The total membership of TCO-affiliated unions stood at 1,260,400 in December 2001. The Union for Technical and Clerical Employees in Industry (Svenska Industritjänstemannaförbundet, SIF) experienced the greatest increase, by 6,730 members.
In 2001, the affiliates of the blue-collar Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen, LO) lost about 53,000 members, bringing total membership below the 2 million mark to 1,963,303 members - a decrease of 2.6%. This decrease is only to be expected, according to LO, as the number of blue-collar workers in industry is falling and the numbers of white-collar and professional workers are increasing. 'This shows mainly that there are big structural changes going on in the labour market,' a spokesperson for LO commented. LO has 18 affiliated national trade unions. About 54% of their members are men, and 46% women.
The membership losses experienced by LO in 2001 were similar to those recorded in 2000 (SE0106105F), while SACO and TCO seem to have improved in 2001 on the small increases they registered in 2000. Overall, however, total union membership has been declining somewhat since the 1990s.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2002), Varying trends in union membership, article.
