United Kingdom Union Membership 2004

By Heidi Granger and Heather Holt

Membership levels declined in 2003-4. The union wage premium was 17.1%. Membership is strongest in the public sector (three of every five public servants were members} and varied widely across the countries in the UK. Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland had much higher levels of membership than England.

In autumn 2004 an estimated 6.78 million people in employment in the United Kingdom were members of a trade union. This was a decrease of 0.5 per cent or approximately 36,000 people, compared with levels recorded in autumn 2003. As a result, the rate of union membership fell by 0.6 percentage points from 26.6 per cent to 26.0 per cent of all people in employment.

• The number of employees who were trade union members in the UK fell by approximately 11,000 to 6.51 million in autumn 2004, compared to 6.52 million in 2003. The rate of union membership fell by 0.5 percentage points, from 29.3 per cent in 2003 to 28.8 per cent of employees in autumn 2004. • Less than one in five (17.2 per cent) private sector employees in the United Kingdom were union members in autumn 2004. Private sector union density fell by 1.0 percentage point in 2004.

• Almost three in five (58.8 per cent) public sector employees in the UK were union members. Public sector union density fell by 0.3 percentage points in 2004. Despite this fall in density the number of public sector union members rose by approximately 138,000 in 2004, as the size of the public sector grew.

• The number of male employees in the UK who were union members fell by approximately 54,000 in 2004, while female employees in trade unions rose by approximately 42,000. Male union density fell by 0.9 percentage points to 28.5 per cent. For women union density decreased by a smaller 0.2 percentage points to 29.1 per cent.

• Of the nations, Northern Ireland had the highest union density (39.3 per cent of employees). In Wales it was 37.0 per cent, and in Scotland 33.2 per cent. Union density was lowest in England (27.5 per cent).

• The hourly earnings of union members averaged £11.38 in autumn 2004, 17.1 per cent more than the earnings of non-union employees.

• Almost half of UK employees (48.4 per cent) were in a workplace where a trade union was present. However, union presence was much lower in the private sector (34.2 per cent) than the public sector (84.7 per cent).

• The number of UK employees whose pay was covered by a collective agreement was 7.23 million in autumn 2004, or 35.0 per cent of all employees.