Union membership gender gap closes

Research published by the Trades Union Congress in March 2005 highlights the closing of the 'gender gap' in trade union membership. Nearly 30% of both female and male workers in the UK belong to a union. This article outlines the main findings of the study and considers the implications of key labour market trends for continued gender parity and union organisation more generally.

In March 2005, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) published a report, (A woman’s place is in her union), coinciding with the 75th TUC women’s conference at Scarborough. It reveals that the 'gender gap' in union membership between women and men fell from 3.7 percentage points to just 0.1 points over the period 1997 to 2003. According to Labour Force Survey data, 29.3% of working women and 29.4% of working men are now union members. The figures represent a growth in female union membership of 312,000 to 3,475,000 over the six-year period, though male membership fell by 193,000 to 3,592,000. Much of the growth in female membership may be accounted for by increases in public sector employment and a higher propensity of young women to become union members. Further analysis of trade union membership trends is provided in a Department of Trade and Industry report published in July 2004.

The TUC report also draws on studies that highlight the likely benefits for women working in unionised workplaces over non-unionized workplaces. These include: higher rates of pay for women (especially where the union is strong); equal opportunities policies with monitoring of promotions and reviews of selection procedures to identify indirect discrimination; and better access to parental leave and financial help with childcare.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said that it was 'an impressive achievement' that unions have 'quietly closed the gender gap amongst their members and put the concerns of working women such as equal pay, childcare and flexible working high on campaign agenda', not least since many women work part time - 'a group that unions have always found hard to recruit'. However, he acknowledged that 'there is no room for complacency. Recruitment will become more difficult with likely changes in the job market, and we must always beware of promoting an overly male and macho image to potential members'.

Challenges ahead

The TUC report highlights a number of challenges for union organising over the next five years. Between 1999 and 2010, it is anticipated that over 2 million additional jobs will be created and that women will fill most of them. However, the public sector - which has been a major source of new women union members - will not continue to grow at the same rate, and unions will face the substantial task of trying to recruit women in the private sector. Many of these new 'female' private sector jobs will be in the service and caring sectors, often in small firms, and will be part time. Unions will therefore have to focus organising strategies across a range of sectors and firms that vary considerably in terms of current unionisation levels.

The significance of union efforts to retain members is also emphasised in the TUC report. It notes that the proportion of workers who leave unions varies in line with the turnover rates in particular industries. In the UK retail sector, for example, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers- which consists largely of female manual workers - has to recruit about 100,000 people annually (a third of its membership) merely to keep overall levels steady. However, the report also refers to a previous TUC study, conducted in 2000, which revealed that women were much more likely than men to cite inadequate assistance or information from their union, and little contact with union representatives, as reasons for leaving their union. It comments that 'women’s working lives and their attachment to the labour market are often very different to men’s … Unions have to respond to female members and potential members in a way which is different to that in which they have traditionally responded to the male workforce and membership.' A wider problem for local union representatives, however, is work intensification and less facility time from employers. Unions therefore not only 'need to ensure that reps can respond to the changing needs and expectations of the workforce', but must also consider how to 'ensure that, even if someone leaves their job, they do not break their link with their union'.

Commentary

As the TUC report makes clear, 'women are vital to the future of the trade union movement'. The growth in female membership suggests that reports of the demise of the UK union movement (UK0504109F) may be premature. UK unions have made clear progress in terms of attracting female members and responding to their needs, though there continues to be significant challenges ahead. Nevertheless, while the TUC is happy to announce the virtual closure of the gender membership gap - and soon there may be more women members than men - this has come not just through attracting greater female participation but as a result of a continual decline in male membership levels. The number of female employees who were union members rose by 37,000 in 2003, whereas male employees in trade unions fell by around 48,000.

A particular problem is how tough it is to recruit and retain members in the private sector, not least since the recent growth in female membership has come on the back of a likely temporary boost to public sector employment. It is sobering to note that fewer than one in five UK private sector employees (18.2%) is currently in a union, compared with almost three in five in the public sector. The TUC’s organisation and recruitment task group has identified as a high priority the 14 million or 57% of UK workers who are neither union members nor covered by collective agreements. Many of these employees work in private services, where union strategies will need to continue to respond to gender-based differences in working lives and labour market attachment. But also significant is the need to address the conditions that underpin the significant decline in male membership figures, particularly in sectors such as manufacturing where unionisation has traditionally been concentrated.

Finally, in emphasising the view that unions need to become more 'female-friendly' to tap the large reserves of unorganised female labour, the TUC report tacitly poses questions about women’s representation at all union levels (UK9908124F). Surveys of women in UK unions such as that conducted regularly by the South Eastern Region TUC women’s rights committee reveal that women’s progress through unions has been slow and uneven. Greater union attention to this issue is required if 'full' gender equality for UK workers is to be achieved and preserved. (J Parker, IRRU)