Overall DGB membership falls again in 2010

Latest figures from the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) show that membership of its affiliated trade unions fell by 1.1% in 2010. The decline was slightly less than in 2009 when it dropped by 1.7%. Against the background of the economic crisis, the fall was modest, although membership was helped by a union merger in the rail sector including a small union that had not previously been affiliated. Apart from the merger, membership rose in three of the eight DGB affiliates.

Background

According to the latest figures from the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), membership levels of its affiliated trade unions fell by 1.1% in 2010. The decline was slightly less than in 2009, when membership fell by 1.7%.

The overall development was positively influenced by a trade union merger in the rail sector. On 30 November 2010, the largest union in the German railway industry, TRANSNET, merged with the smaller transport trade union, Verkehrsgewerkschaft GDBA, to form a new union, the Rail and Transport Union (EVG) (DE1012029I).

GDBA with some 30,000 members had previously not been affiliated to DGB. Apart from EVG, three of the eight affiliate unions of DGB saw their membership figures rise. Against the background of the economic and financial crisis, the unions in manufacturing managed to limit their membership losses.

Main developments in DGB membership

A close examination of the details reflects these different developments. As indicated in Table 1 below, the largest DGB-affiliated union, the German Metalworkers’ Union (IG Metall) with 2.2 million members, lost 1% of its members but did better than in 2009 when it lost 1.6%. This decline appears comparatively modest given the fact that the metalworking industry in general and the car industry in particular were affected by a decline in orders and production during the crisis. With regard to its employed membership the union lost only about 0.3% of members.

The development reflects several factors:

• the ongoing organising efforts of the union;

• extensive use of short-time work schemes that have prevented more substantial job losses in metal manufacturing;

• recovery of the car industry in 2010.

The Mining, Chemicals and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE) recorded a fall of 1.7% in membership, which is below the loss of 2009 (2.0%) but still above the DGB average.

Membership losses continued at almost the same level as in 2009 in the large services sector union, the United Services Union (ver.di), which recorded a loss of 2.0%. Although the union continued its organising activities and recorded more joiners than leavers among its employed membership, these gains could not fully compensate for the departure of unemployed and retired members.

Among the unions’ 13 trade groups some, including healthcare and education, recorded a growth in membership whereas others such as retail recorded losses. The Trade Union for Building, Forestry, Agriculture and the Environment (IG BAU) recorded a decline of 3.3% – almost the same level as in 2009. This was in spite of huge efforts to stabilise its membership in construction and its successes in organising workers in industrial cleaning.

The German Union of Education (GEW) recorded a third consecutive year with a net membership gain, although this gain remained modest compared to 2009, when union membership rose due to major bargaining rounds in the public sector and in childcare. The German Police Union (GdP) also continued to grow with a net increase of 0.9%. The Trade Union of Food, Beverages, Tobacco, Hotel and Catering and Allied Workers (NGG), which almost halted its decline in 2009, also managed to secure a growth in membership. The union attributes this to its success in organising employees in the context of collectively defending and restoring their membership base.

Table 1 shows the change in membership levels of unions affiliated to DGB in 2010, compared with 2008–2009. It also gives figures for the proportion of women members as a percentage of total members for 2010 and 2009.