When the voice of labour falls silent, then what?

Ever since the turn of the 21st century, the world has witnessed a number of economic and political developments that have had significant implications for global economies, societal change, and labour market conditions.

Many of these forced changes have stemmed from political decisions made by the world’s superpowers. Such actions have triggered trade wars and sparked competition for control of resources—whether land, oil, or minerals—giving rise to what is now known as neocolonialism.

There is a prevailing view that trade unions, in general, have been silent on these rapidly enforced changes. In some circles, this view has been challenged on the grounds that international trade union organisations have been voicing their concerns on global developments. While this may be true, there is reason for concern over the deafening silence emanating from developing countries, many of which appear dependent on the support and assistance of the powerful first world nations. Are trade union leaders afraid of stepping on someone’s toes, or are they simply out of touch with global developments that threaten to erode employment gains and labour rights?

Several reasons have been advanced for the perceived silence of trade unions. One probable explanation is the hostile legal and political environment that exists in many countries, where legislation has been introduced that potentially—or even intentionally—weakens unions. This includes anti-union laws and measures that criminalise legitimate trade union activity, such as so-called “foreign agent” laws. Even if this is true, it raises the question of what constrains unions in countries where democracy and freedom of speech are not curtailed.

It is also perplexing that some international trade union bodies appear to experience difficulties in addressing global issues. Admittedly, their power is limited when compared with that of national governments. The view that local unions often focus on the immediate, tangible needs of their members—making it difficult to project a unified message on complex international issues—is open to challenge. Could this simply be a way of copping out? It is difficult to envisage how local trade union leaderships could fail to grasp the implications of international policies and actions, or to position themselves to lobby their governments in search of solutions to mitigate their impact.

It has become easier to understand how declining membership and diminishing relevance have weakened the voice of trade unions. The assertion that union membership has been in long-term decline in many parts of the world—particularly among younger workers who see unions as outdated—is not to be dismissed. In the final analysis, the inevitable result has been the erosion of unions’ power and public visibility.

The global dynamics surrounding the changing nature of work must also be reckoned with. The rise of the gig economy and other forms of precarious, non-standard employment have undermined traditional union structures. The end result appears to be that trade unions face mounting difficulties in organising these fragmented and vulnerable groups of workers.