Trade union recruitment: strategic options?
| Published date | 01 June 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450410530655 |
| Pages | 274-291 |
| Date | 01 June 2004 |
| Author | Martin McCracken,Michael Sanderson |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Trade union recruitment:
strategic options?
Martin McCracken and Michael Sanderson
School of Management, Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
Keywords Trade unions, Recruitment, Management strategy,
Small to medium-sized enterprises
Abstract This paper adapts the model espoused by Snape and considers avenues for trade unions
to increase membership. It studies two specific industrial sectors, namely 20 non-unionised
manufacturing small- to medium-sized establishments (SMEs) and four large unionised banking
and insurance establishments all of which are based in the central belt of Scotland. The authors
consider possible implications for trade unions in developing strategies for targeting workers in an
attempt to boost trade union membership as indicated by the setting up of a TUC Organising
Academy, as well as possible effects of the Employment Relations Act, 1999. Discussion also
centres on employer suppression or substitution strategies, and on trade union commitment
towards investing resources in workplace establishments that are either non-union or are
unionised but exhibit a low union density. The authors conclude that trade unions will have to think
very carefully about the rewards available when conceiving strategies aimed at increasing
membership in non-union establishments, and density in unionised establishments.
Introduction and contextual background
Much debate has surrounded the possible implications of the enactment of the
Employment Relations Act (ERA) 1999. For example, Smith and Morton (2001, p. 133)
comment that the act may:
... help to re-legitimise trade unionism – including, in some instances militant trade
unionism – thereby opening up a fertile organising field.
This was supported by evidence from the Trade Unions Congress (2000) that
suggested an encouraging increase in union membership levels. The possibility of
success in recruitment strategies exploiting previously uncharted territory (Wood et al.,
2002), in terms of union recognition agreements, could in future years reopen some
local union branches at least, perhaps leading to a re-establishment of a physical trade
union presence where branch offices had been abandoned.
The demise in UK union membership has been well documented (Snape, 1994a, b)
since its peak in 1979. However with the election of the “New Labour” Government in
1997, the potential for the trade union movement to move into relatively unfamiliar
territory and gain new members has been an issue of prime importance. This perceived
opportunity resulted in the setting up of the TUC’s Organising Academy. As Heery
(1998, p. 343) explains the Organising Academy’s remit involved:
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
The authors would like to express our gratitude to the anonymous referees for their constructive
comments on an earlier draft of this paper. The authors take full responsibility for any errors or
omissions.
ER
26,3
274
Received July 2003
Revised October 2003
Accepted December 2003
Employee Relations
Vol. 26 No. 3, 2004
pp. 274-291
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450410530655
...training specialist officers in recruitment and organising techniques and to allocate them
to priority recruitment campaigns identified jointly by the TUC and member unions.
This has implications in that it is not enough to carry out recruitment cam paigns and
then merely withdraw from the scene, it is imperative that appropriate resources be
provided in order that support can be offered and then sustained.
This raises the problematic decision of how to utilise trade union resources (which
are not infinite) in the most efficient and effective way, in that effort spent recruiting
new members is rewarded with tangible results and significant union membership
increases. For example, Gall and McKay (2001, p. 96) highlight the importance of the
fact that “... a distinction is made between ‘anti-unionism’ and ‘non-unionism ...’” in
terms of management attitude. They go on to explain the concepts of a “suppressionist
strategy” and “substitutionist strategy” that employers may pursue to ensure that the
workplace remains union-free (Gall and McKay, 2001, pp. 99-104). Both these strategies
pose formidable obstacles for the union concerned that may scupper their quest for
membership gains. An additional but fundamental debate here concerns the basi c
concepts of “individualism versus collectivism” as posited by Bassett and Cave (1993),
with collectivism being essential for unions to make any headway on membership
recruitment drives.
The specific focus of this paper concerns the extent of employer “suppression” or
“substitution” strategies (Gall and McKay, 2001) and trade union commitment in terms
of “consolidation” for unionised banks and insurance organisations and “expansion”
strategies (Snape, 1994a) for non-unionised manufacturing small- to medium-sized
establishments (SMEs). The results of a survey of 20 non-union manufacturing SMEs
with management and full-time union district officials, which attempted to gauge the
possible opportunities and barriers to trade union recognition, are reported. The paper
also examines the situation in four large financial services organisations (three banks
and one life assurance organisation) which were unionised but had varied membership
densities. All the organisations surveyed were located in the central belt of Scotland.
Each industry (manufacturing SMEs and financial services) in our sample accounted
for approximately 1,200 staff apiece.
Literature review
The 1998 WERS survey revealed that 47 per cent of those workplaces surveyed had no
union members, whilst in 1990 the figure was 36 per cent of workplaces (Cully et al.,
1999, pp. 14-15). Bratton and Gold (1999), when considering Cully et al.’s work further
highlight that:
The WERS study also provides data that shows a strong association between the type of
union presence and workplace employment size, and union presence and management
attitudes towards union membership (Bratton and Gold, 1999, p. 346).
In terms of union membership, the UK economy has seen a change and sectors such as
retail and banking, finance and insurance have increased in importance in terms of
employment (Hasluck, 1999), and therefore hold increased interest for trade unions. A
further relevant issue surrounds those large workplaces that, while recognising trade
unions, may exhibit a low membership density. What implication does this have for
trade union future fortunes in terms of membership gain? The advantage for trade
unions here would be that large employing units are easier to administer in terms of
Trade union
recruitment
275
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