The Decline in Trade Union Membership

he observation has been made that today’s workforce is far more heterogeneous and the labour turnover is far higher. From this, the conclusion may be drawn that it is much more difficult for a trade union to organize workers who might have divergent interests. This argument may have merit from the standpoint that in the contemporary era, the traditional workplace has undergone significant changes. This starts with those workers who are now engaged on contracts of employment or are working remotely. In either instance, these employees may not be required to go into the physical office, and if they do, it is only on a need’s basis.

These new employment arrangements create a headache for trade unions in their attempt to organize workers. For starters, workers who are under contract of employment may feel more comfortable and empowered in having the opportunity to negotiate their own terms and conditions of employment. This is so despite the fact that there is no security of tenure. This hesitancy in becoming unionized may have come about, given the anti-union propaganda which has been given currency.

There are those who promote the view that trade unions are failing workers, and with that come several reasons for support of the anti-union sentiments. The erosion of security of tenure, the replacement of traditional jobs, the apparent inability of trade unions to stem the trend of layoffs and retrenchments are amongst those contributing factors to a declining interest in joining trade unions. There is also the belief that trade unions are unable to push back on the incursion of non-nationals who enter the country to occupy jobs which locals have the qualifications, skills and expertise to perform. Along with this, is the presumed failure of trade unions to halt the erosion of social benefits, such as payment of a pension at the end of one’s work life.

In watching these developments, employers have seemingly positioned themselves to capitalize and take advantage of the fluctuating trends. It would appear that they have become much more apt at resisting unionization in various ways. Employers and management, in demonstrating their anti-union arguments have done so by pushing back on the recognition of trade unions. This imposes a serious roadblock for trade unions in establishing a collective bargaining unit at the workplace. In some instances, trade unions don’t even stand a chance of organizing workers. This comes about as a consequence of the policy followed by individual enterprises and companies of not hiring workers who are unionized. However, where this may come in conflict with the local labour laws, employers engage in the strategy of offering competitive pay and perks to non-unionized workers, which may be far better when compared to the terms, conditions, pay and benefits unionized workers receive.

In engaging in the practice of inducement and enticement, employers are signalling that they have a formula that would combat unionisation. This to all intents and purposes, removes any engagement with trade unions. For them it means the removal of some pressures, especially when it comes to dealing with the threat of strike action or other forms of industrial action. One thing for sure, it removes the need for engaging in the collective bargaining process.

Employers now find themselves in a position where they feel that employees trust management to do what’s best for them, without management having to formally negotiate with the trade union. The bottom line is that there is an anti-union sentiment being pushed that trade unions can’t be trusted.

There is the speculation that the changing attitudes of younger generation of workers, is also a defining factor in the decreasing membership of trade unions.  The need for independence through the means of self-employment, being able to pursue an avenue of entrepreneurship and /or to engage in contract work which allows for greater flexibility and freedom from a collective bargaining agreement, is seen as the way to go.

The experts have come to acknowledge that the shift from manufacturing to service jobs, the outsourcing of unionised jobs, the informalisation of the economy and the changing employment relationship, and automation, have all become contributing factors to the decline in trade union membership.