The Global Decline in Trade Union Membership in the Past 25 Years - Essay Example

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From the paper "The Global Decline in Trade Union Membership in the Past 25 Years" it is clear that according to the development of the recent trends, the temporary jobs in the service sector have seen a rise that may result in problems regarding employment safety for the part-time employees…

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The Global Decline in Trade Union Membership in the Past 25 Years

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Subject: Miscellaneous
Type: Essay
Level: Undergraduate
Pages: 3 (750 words)
Downloads: 3
Author: osenger

Extract of sample "The Global Decline in Trade Union Membership in the Past 25 Years"

Trade unions across the world are experiencing certain difficulties and going through a period of transition because of the lack of applications in the emerging global trade scenario. They face problems of retaining quality members. It has been found that there is substantial erosion not only in the membership but also in the bargaining power of the unions. For developing a close understanding of the recent trends in the fall of the trade union membership, it has been intended to enlighten the present scenarios of two countries- the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia. It has been found that the trade union membership has been reduced over the previous two decades in the UK.

According to the statistics of 1979, there were 13.3 million people under the membership of trade unions which refers to 55% of the overall employees. A decline in the trade union membership during the period of 1995 to 2006 can be exhibited through a diagram. Several reasons are there for the decline in the memberships. Firstly, the drastic reduction in the number of jobs mainly in the manufacturing industries that acquire a traditionally higher amount of union membership can be blamed. Secondly, the increasing level of unemployment is also held responsible for the decline.

Recent trends say that traditional full-time employment has been reduced whereas an increase in the part-time workers has been noticed which is not beneficial to the increase in trade union membership. In small organizations, it is difficult to form trade unions and a sharp amplification in the proportion of the employed workforce has been observed. Hostile legislation can be considered as another reason for the decline in the UK (TUC, 2010). Across Australia, a sharp decline in trade union memberships has been noticed.

The declination is a result of significant transformation in the ‘industrial relations environment’. Data reveals that 46% of the entire employee force in the year 1986 belonged to the trade unions. Opening up of individual and collective bargaining and gaining prominence of decentralized bargaining, has reduced the importance of the unions in the negotiation process of working conditions and wages.

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