Trade Union Membership and Influence

Transcription

1 Trade Union Membership and Influence Alex Bryson and John Forth Prospect, Warwick, 22 nd October 2010 National Institute of Economic and Social Research

2 Background Two faces of unions: monopoly and voice (Freeman and Medoff, 1984) Monopoly: control over the supply of labour -> bargaining power -> improved terms and conditions Voice: efficient transfer of employees views to employer -> better decisions -> higher productivity 1980s and 1990s: Monopoly effects apparent (e.g. in wage premium) But membership in free-fall Voice effects weak

3 Overview Membership and bargaining coverage Other indicators of organizational capacity Union influence on wages, workplace performance etc Prospects

4 Membership and bargaining coverage

5 Union members (million) Union membership, Source: Certification Officer

6 % of employees that are union members TU membership density, % 60% 50% 40% 30% -1.0% -0.1% -0.3% 20% 10% 0% All employees Private sector Public sector Source: Labour Force Survey

7 % of employees that are union members TU membership density, % 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Male Female Source: Labour Force Survey

8 % of employees who are union members TU membership density, % 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Manual Non-manual Source: Labour Force Survey

9 % of employees that are union members TU membership density, % 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Source: Labour Force Survey Age Age Age 50+

10 Membership composition 80% 70% 60% 50% 46% 54% 62% 68% 52% 61% 40% 30% 20% 26% 34% 34% 21% 10% 0% % female % aged 50+ % with degree % non-manual % in public sector Source: Labour Force Survey

11 Membership composition 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% -2% -4% 13% 7% 8% 9% 9% 6% 3% 3% 3% U -1% NU U NU U NU U NU U NU % female % aged 50+ % with degree % point change, % nonmanual % in public sector Source: Labour Force Survey

12 Membership change Members Members Membership change % change Unite 2,715,660 1,952, ,434-28% UNISON 1,272,330 1,344,000 71,670 6% GMB 712, , ,885-17% RCN 320, ,865 73,659 23% USDAW 303, ,046 52,986 17% CWU 287, ,679-51,053-18% NUT 286, ,170 87,667 31% NASUWT 250, ,350 62,567 25% PCS 245, ,829 59,479 24% ATL 168, ,568 40,541 24% UCATT 111, ,065 17,261 15% BMA 106, ,359 31,495 29% Source: Certification Officer

13 Membership change agriculture, forestry and fishing mining and quarrying manufacturing electricity, gas and water supply construction wholesale, retail and motor trade hotels and restaurants transport, storage and communication financial intermediation real estate and business services public administration and defence education health & social work other services Source: Labour Force Survey

14 % of employees covered by union bargaining Bargaining coverage 80% 70% 72% 67% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 36% 23% 33% 18% 10% 0% All employees Private sector Public sector Source: Labour Force Survey

15 % of employees not union members Free-riding 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% All employees Private sector Public sector Base: employees covered by collective bargaining Source: Labour Force Survey

16 % of employees that are union members Compositional effect? 31% 30% 29% 28% 27% 26% 25% 24% Raw time-trend Regression-adjusted Source: Labour Force Survey

17 Controlling for compositional effects Employee characteristics Gender Age Ethnicity Education Job characteristics Occupation Temporary / permanent FT / PT Covered by collective bargaining Employer characteristics Workplace size Private / public sector Industry Region Year dummies

18 Per cent Never members Current member Ex-member Never-member Source: British Social Attitudes Survey

19 Membership: summary Membership density stabilized , but now declining once more Rise in free-riding in recent years Rise in never-membership Changes in composition of population of union members

20 Organizational capacity and influence

21 Financial resources Source: Certification Officer Income ( m) Expenditure ( m) Solvency (Inc/Exp)

22 Organizational resources 400, , , , , , ,000 50, Number of shop stewards of recognised unions 27 Number of members per steward Source: Workplace Employment Relations Survey

23 Union wage premium 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Raw wage premium Regression adjusted Source: Labour Force Survey

24 Union wage premium Figure 1b: Movements in the union wage premium in Britain, BSAS GB unemp Source: British Social Attitudes Survey

25 Days per annum (FTE) Union holiday premium Raw premium Regression-adjusted premium Source: Labour Force Survey

26 SD of log non-union wages / SD log union wages Unions and wage dispersion 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Raw data Regression residuals Source: Labour Force Survey

27 Unions and workplace performance Workplace performance relative to industry average: Raw union effect Regressionadjusted ** ** * ** ** Coefficients from ordered logit *=significant at 10% level; **=significant at 5% level or lower Base: private sector workplaces with 25+ employees Source: Workplace Employment Relations Survey

28 Unions and ER climate Manager s perception of climate of employment relations: Raw union effect Regressionadjusted ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * * Coefficients from ordered logit *=significant at 10% level; **=significant at 5% level or lower Base: private sector workplaces with 25+ employees Source: Workplace Employment Relations Survey

29 Stoppages and Employment Tribunals Stoppage Days Employment Tribunal Claims Registered , , ,000 80,000 60,000 40, ,000 0 Source: Office for National Statistics

30 Expressions of conflict, by voice Union voice only Union and non-union voice Non-union voice only Any industrial action % of workplace s Any grievances % of workplaces ET claims Claims per 1,000 employe es Voluntary resignations Resignations per 100 employees Relations between managers and employees % of employees rating poor or very poor No voice * All workplaces Base: all workplaces with 5+ employees Source: Dix, Forth and Sisson (2009) using WERS

31 Per cent Workplace union doing its job well Whole economy Members Non-members Source: British Social Attitudes Survey

32 Prospects

33 Summary and conclusions Membership density again on a downward trajectory Likely to come under further pressure going forward Still observable benefits for employees in joining a trade union, but for how much longer?