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Trade union membership and power in comparative perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

John Kelly
John Kelly*
Affiliation:
Birkbeck, University of London, UK
*
John Kelly, Department of Management, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7HX, UK. Email: j.kelly@bbk.ac.uk
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Abstract

The trade union movement around the world remains in the throes of a prolonged and deep decline, whether measured by membership and density, bargaining power in relation to employers or political influence over the ubiquitous neoliberal narrative that underpins the policies of many governments. Decline has not been arrested or reversed by the many strategic initiatives undertaken in recent years such as organising campaigns or coalition building, although it is possible that the state of the unions would be even more parlous if these initiatives had not been pursued. Against this bleak backcloth, there are some positive signs: unions representing specific occupations, such as school teachers, nurses and airline pilots, have retained high levels of density; and union confederations in many parts of Europe have launched successful general strikes against unpopular government reforms to pensions and welfare benefits. Unions need to position themselves as agencies that can help deal with the growing problems of wage stagnation, low wages, income inequality and insufficient economic demand. That in turn requires a coherent challenge to the dominant neoliberal narrative.

Keywords

J51J53Collective bargainingcross-country comparisonincome distributionindustrial relationsneoliberalismsocial justicetrade unions
Type
Articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 26 , Issue 4: Special Collection: Union Organising and Revitalisation , December 2015 , pp. 526 - 544
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015

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