This article is the first of a series of blogs which will analyse the changes in trade union (TU) membership in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2001 and 2019 for all employees. The source of the data is the October- December Labour Force Survey for the relevant years. Figure 1 shows the total trade membership of employees in the UK from 2001 to 2019.

                                             

Fig 1

Between 2001 and 2007 TU membership of employees remained stable at just over 7 million members. In 2008 it went below 7 million for the first time, this decrease we can assume was due in part to the financial crisis of that year. The downward trend continued until 2011, and then there was a slight rebound in TU membership in 2012. However, the downward trend in TU membership continued until 2016. Since 2016 there has been a small increase in TU membership of 225,683 a rise of 3.6 per cent. Between 2001 and 2019 TU membership declined overall by 597,471 a fall of 8.5 per cent.

In Figure 2, we show that TU total density decreased by 5.8 to 23.3 per cent; however, between 2018 and 2019, TU density increased by 0.2 per cent. The 0.2 per cent increase is the first time that TU density has not decreased year on year since 2001.

                                                                                        

Fig 2

In Figure 3, we show TU membership by gender between 2001 and 2019.

                                            

Fig 3

Female TU membership has increased by 340,324 to 3,693,467 by 2019. However, even though female TU membership has grown, it has failed to maintain its TU density. Female TU density declined by 1.7 to 26.8 per cent, see Fig 4.

Conversely, male TU membership has continued to decline. Between 2001 and 2019 male TU membership fell by 937,795 to 2,752,794. Male TU density also declined during this period down 9.8 to 19.9 per cent, see Fig 4.


                                           

Fig 4

Conclusion

Trade union are still under considerable pressure in regards to their membership. However, there are signs of hope with a small increase in TU membership and the slightest rise in TU density. The TU’s remain the most significant members of civil society collectively in the UK.

In the next blog, we will examine in more details the changes in trade union membership by gender and employment status.