Women, Minority Ethnic Groups, and Transform Unions - Essay Example

Women, Minority Ethnic Groups, and Transform Unions Introduction There is no denying the fact that the very survival of the trade unions to a great extent depends on their ability to expand the trade unions’ membership (Colgan & Ledwith, 2002). This endeavour has to be exercised in both the traditional recruitment areas as well as in the services sector (Colgan & Ledwith, 2002). For this purpose, the trade unions also need to increase the proportion of minority ethnic groups and the women within their framework. It is a fact based on the commonsensical general awareness and well corroborated by many trade unions in the UK that minority ethnic groups and women are highly underrepresented in the union structures (Gallie & Rose, 1996). Various steps have been taken by trade unions to ameliorate this imbalance in the form of making provision for the reserved seat for minority ethnic groups and women and by allowing for proportionate representation. Irrespective of the fact that such transformational steps have been adopted by the trade unions since the last few decades, the mindset of the trade unions still remains quiet patriarchal and majority oriented (Heery & Salmon, 2000). Now is the time for the trade unions to meditate on the impact of women and minority ethnic groups in the union culture and as to have these marginalized segments of the British work force have contributed to and facilitated the revival and survival of the trade unions in the UK (Heery & Salmon, 2000). This article investigates the augmenting diversity in the British workforce and the biases being faced by the ethnic minority groups and women at the work place. One purpose of the paper is to identify as to how these sidelined segments of the British workforce tend to redress the work place discrepancies by trying to transform the trade unions. The paper also looks into as to how the trade unions respond to the demand for change emanating from the ethnic minority groups and women. This paper is based on the available academic and online sources pertaining to the topic under consideration. Hence it is possible that it may leave untouched some facets of the concerns and expectations of the ethnic minority and female workers. Still, it will try its best to have an insight into the dynamics of trade unions with respect to members affiliated to the ethnic minority groups and women. Diversity and Trade Unions In a broad context, diversity is universal in the sense that every individual tends to differ from other. However, defining diversity in a universal perspective will make its scope utterly meaningless for any rational analysis (Heneman et al, 1996). Hence it is imperative to define diversity in the context of the organization or institution it relates to. Yet, a broad scope of diversity do turns out to be magnanimous enough to make way for the analysis of heterogeneous aspects of varied social groups that constitute the British workforce (Liff, 1999). The nature of diversity adopted to facilitate a meaningful discussion in the context of the topic under consideration includes within its scope, gender and ethnicity. The external and internal workforce with which the trade unions have to deal with is highly segmented (Kirton & Greene, 2000). So far as the female employment in the British workforce is concerned, it is at its peak. Women today constitute approximately 45 percent of the UK’s workforce (EOR, 2001). Nearly 70 percent of the women in the UK are employed (EOR, 2001). When one comes to the last decade, the largest increase in the employment rate has been registered by the women who have children below five years of age (EOR, 2001). A noteworthy majority, say 88 percent of the women are engaged in the services sector (EOR, 2001). This data certainly hints towards augmenting gender diversity in the British workforce. This data is also indicative of the fact that the trade unions need to adjust their policies so as to attract and retain this important segment of the workforce. When one comes to the non-white ethnic minorities, they constitute almost 6 percent of the nation’s workforce (EOR, 2001). As per the recent studies and surveys, the ethnic minorities command a more than proportionate share in the low-skill jobs (EOR, 2001). Ethnic minority groups are severely under-represented in the sphere of middle and top management in big organizations (Hoque & Noon, 1999). This is really disheartening in the sense that much progress has been made by the ethnic minority groups with regards to higher education and professional proficiency (Hoque & Noon, 1999). It is also noteworthy that when one correlates the professional and educational achievements in the ethnic minority groups, there exist big differences (Hoque & Noon, 1999). For most of the trade unions in the UK that are active in the local workforce, recruitment constitutes one major and pivotal priority (Ress, 1998). Since the late 70s, the union membership in Great Britain has sharply declined (Labour Research, 1996). In 1979, trade unions represented roughly 13 million employees in the UK (Labour Research, 1996). By the advent of 1996, the total membership of the trade unions fell to seven million (Labour Research, 1996). May sound a little strange, but the trade unions today represent only a one third of the British workforce (Labour Research, 1996)? The labour markets in the late 80s witnessed a large scale restructuring (Minkin, 1991). When, on the one side, the unionized and highly skilled manufacturing sector dominated by the white males resorted to massive contracting, on the other side, the less unionized services sector began to be dominated by women (Minkin, 1991). The same stands to be somewhat true for the low skilled and low grade economic sectors in the context of ethnic minority groups (Wrigley, 2002). Trade unions to a large extent have failed to come to terms with such serious societal and economic changes (Hayward, 1980). They have failed to make up for the losses incurred in the unionized manufacturing sector, by recruiting more ethnic minority and women members active in the expanding services and low skilled sector (Hayward, 1980). The good thing is that the rate of decline in membership in the minority ethnic groups and women has been very less as compared to the male white workers (EOR, 1997). This group constitutes more than 40 percent of the trade union membership in the UK (EOR, 1997). It would be certainly logical and pragmatic to conclude that ethnic minority groups and women today command a meaningful stake in the trade unions and motivated by this, they seek serious changes in the way trade unions operate and function (Smith, 2003). Unions also need to recognize this change and actually they are gearing up to be sensitive to the aspirations of such a clientele. Women- Problems Faced and Changes Required The changes that women seek in the trade unions are in a way directly related to their aspirations of seeking gender equality at the work place and in the union framework (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Gender equality is not some trendy gadget that could be procured and put in placed within hours. Women not only seek gender equality in the trade unions, but also want the trade unions to come out with an accommodating framework that will enable them to tide over the transition phase that is a precursor of a world that does not discriminates in terms of gender (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Most of the problems faced by women in the trade unions have to do with the double responsibility they have to bear with in a social context (Tripp, 2010). A majority of the female workforce have to perform on two fronts, that is at home and at work (Tripp, 2010). A formal commitment on the part of women to trade unions requires a formal recognition of their special skills and responsibilities as women (Tripp, 2010). Women want trade unions to recognize the typical nature of their responsibility profile and to come out with pragmatic and targeted policies to support them at work place and to accommodate them in the democratic framework of trade unions (Fairbrother, 2000). Women also want trade unions to accord and extend to them a fair representation and to chart out policies to help female leaders get elected to the leadership positions at all levels (Walby, 2002). Luckily, women are well aware of the constraints faced by them in the trade unions. The problems faced by female representation in trade unions are very practical and obvious (ESCAP, 2003). For example, many a times the location and timing of the trade union meetings proves to be utterly inconvenient for the female members. Many a times the male members resort to sexist language and behaviour. The jargon used by trade unions is oft unfamiliar to the women members and is mostly targeted at furthering a strictly male agenda. Unions need to do away with a highly masculine culture that is based on patriarchal preferences and norms. The female participation in the trade union activism is also constrained by the traditional gender roles (Scott, 1999). This makes it utterly difficult for women to allocate time and energy between work, home and trade union participation. Minority Ethnic Groups and Trade Unions The problems which the ethnic minority men and women face at work and in the trade unions have to do with the discriminatory status of this group in the society. Ethnic minority groups seek the equality of treatment in the unionized organizations and work places. When it comes to equal access to benefits and opportunities at the work place or in unions, the women and men affiliated to ethnic minority groups certainly do not solicit a fair treatment (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Though the equal opportunity policies and statutory provisions for equality do succeed in accruing a fair treatment for the ethnic minority groups at work place, the presence of recognized trade unions do often fails to guarantee an equitable treatment to ethnic minority groups (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Trade unions are often more proactive and vociferous when it comes to fighting for the rights of men and women from majority communities (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Men and women from ethnic minority communities do randomly have to bear with abuse and bullying at work place (Noon & Hoque, 2001). These groups also do not have a just and fair access to training opportunities and personal development programs (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Many a time it has been found that the supervisors, line managers and administrators collude with the union representatives to dilute the concerns of these communities or to resort to open discrimination (Noon & Hoque, 2001). Ethnic minority communities do face a crisis of representation in the trade unions and their allegiance to the trade unions is to a great extent is dependent on the ability and commitment of the trade unions to extend to them recognition and a sincere concern for the issues being faced by them (Lucas, 2003). Response of the Trade Unions As already mentioned that the membership rate of the white members in the trade unions has declined, especially after the passing over of the ownership from public to private. Also, the membership rate of the women and ethnic minority groups in the trade unions has slightly increased with time. So the trade unions in the UK are more than willing to allow these sections of the workplace a fair representation in the union hierarchy and agenda (Noon, 2001). Almost most of the unions in the UK have agreed to make way for reserved seats in the union leadership and provide for proportionate representation (Noon, 2001). However, women have been more successful in this context as compared to the ethnic minority groups (Noon, 2001). Equal opportunities policies have come to command a central space in the agenda of trade unions (Gospel & Wood, 2003). Trade unions are increasingly aligning themselves with the causes that are of importance to women like equal pay for equal work, consideration of maternity to be a right and not a privilege, equal and fair chances for promotion, flexible timings and reasonably acceptable work hours (Gospel & Wood, 2003). Unions are constantly under pressure to appear and act as agents of equality in racial, sexual and economic terms, courtesy the pressure being exerted by the female members and the members affiliated to ethnic minority groups. When it comes to the ethnic minority groups, trade unions have realized over time that they have not done much until today to represent the interests and concerns of a much larger canvass that includes coloured people and ethnic minority groups (Gospel & Wood, 2003). In that context the trade unions are increasingly resorting to proactive strategies regarding the issues concerning the ethnic minority groups, a far cry from the fragmentary, uncoordinated and tokenistic policies of the yore (Gospel & Wood, 2003). Trade unions are reshaping their mindset to extend a proportionate stake the ethnic minority in the union leadership. Trade unions are also altering their interaction patterns to seek support from the informal community and ethnicity based links to enhance solidarity and augment their bargaining power (Gospel & Wood, 2003). Conclusion Though it is a fact that women and ethnic minority groups had not been the prime consideration for the trade unions, the augmenting stakes of these social segments in the workforce has attracted the attention of trade unions, which are already facing a crisis of a steadily declining membership. In the mean time the women and ethnic minority groups have also refurbished their political and bargaining skills to be no more considered to be of secondary importance. In the time to come, trade unions simply cannot aspire to advance their agenda, without soliciting the support of women and ethnic minority groups. Reference List Colgan, Fiona & Ledwith, Sue (eds.) 2002, Gender, Diversity and Trade Unions, Routledge, London. EOR 1997, ‘Women in the Unions’, Equal Opportunities Review, no. 76, pp. 57-63. EOR 2001, ‘Diversity Now the Ultimate Test of Management Capacity’, Equal Opportunities Review, no. 96, pp. 11-17. ESCAP 2003, Putting Gender Mainstreaming into Practice, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, New York. Fairbrother, Peter 2000, ‘British Trade Unions Facing the Future’, Capital and Class, Vol. 71, pp. 47-52. Gallie, Duncan & Rose, Michael 1996, Trade Unionism in Recession, Oxford University, New York. 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Wrigley, Chris 2002, British Trade Unions Since 1933, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Read More