UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

The decline in collective bargaining coverage

As part of its support for the US trade union movement's campaign todefend collective bargaining rights for public sector workers - the TUC has published an article by a US academic Prof William B Gould IV- which argues that 'collective bargaining is the essence ofdemocracy'. http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-19357-f0.cfm 

The Professor has a sound argument, but if we accept his premise, democracy is in a fragile condition in the UK with collective bargaining in the private sector now down to a post war low of 20% and falling fast. Here UNISON International Officer Nick Crook surveys the extent of collective bargaining across the UK workforce: http://www.social-europe.eu/2010/07/collective-bargaining-in-the-uk-and-eu/