In these uncertain times, trade unions are a vital counterbalance to capital, says CHRIS WILSON. So why is union membership on the decline, and could the little known World Organisation of Workers point the way forward?
For all of my adult life I have been a trade union member, and for a lot of that time I have been an activist – recruiting and representing members as the situation requires. I believe in trade unionism, and see it as an essential counterweight to the sometimes excessive and overbearing power of employers.
In these uncertain times, the need for such a balancing power to capital seems greater than ever. Yet, trade unionism in the United Kingdom is not in a healthy state. In fact, vital as it is, the post-war trend is down.
Outside the public sector, only around one in 10 workers belong to a union. Even if we include public sector unions, it’s still only around one in five. The simple truth is that the trade union ‘offer’ is not as attractive as it should be.
It is not that people don’t join organisations anymore; they do. I have written before about the remarkable revival of the Oddfellows, now with over 360,000 members. But trade unions aren’t getting the traction they should.
Their approaches seem to be informed by outdated models of industrial unionism, especially the idea of ‘one industry, one union’ regardless of the politics of that union, their industrial priorities, or whether these priorities chime with the lived experience of workers. Often a union’s priorities don’t resonate with members, while internal trade union democracy can be riven with factionalism – low turnout in union elections and strike ballots is ample evidence for such lack of interest.
Trade union federations also reflect and reinforce old ways of thinking. The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), made up of former Soviet-era unions, is still firmly pro-Russia, and its leftist rhetoric informs its opposition to Ukraine’s right to self-determination. This is not a good look, although its website is worth exploring, if only to see what union federations should not be doing.
Then there is the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which is more western and social democratic in outlook. Most UK unions have links to the ITUC, which also clings to the one industry, one union model, not understanding that union membership should be portable, allowing workers to maintain their membership as they change employment. The ground for workers’ unity today is less about a common trade and more about common values. How else will unions grow in now-unionised workplaces?
Doing things differently
The smallest trade union international understands this, and is trying to do things differently. The World Organisation of Workers (WOW) was founded in September 1921 and now has 1.3 million members and around 130 affiliates across 60 countries.
Its origins lie in the Christian trade unions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although it now organises mainly white collar and finance unions. It holds a congress every four years, and has been crystal clear in its opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A few years ago, I attended one of their international gatherings and was impressed both by the breadth of views expressed and by the creative thinking of those involved. WOW is attempting to sketch out what 21st century trade unionism might look like.
It is true that WOW’s origins were moderate more than militant; more Christian democratic (and arguably Christian socialist) than Marxist. But it understands that how we conduct ourselves in politics really matters, that behaviour matters as well as facts. In the modern trade union world, that is impressive.
WOW believes in the right of every worker to join the union of their choice. In many sectors this is the reality anyway, but it is still an important point. People need to join a union because they want to, not because they feel forced to, and to join a union whose values reflect your own. I wouldn’t join a union that shows solidarity with Putin or holds ill-judged affiliations under pressure from some obscure far-left group.
WOW also recognises the threat (and opportunities) of AI and is doing much to understand the impact of new technology, while it is concerned about the survival of the European Union’s social partnership. The partnership has risks and limitations but it still represents a significant improvement on what we have in our post-Brexit UK, not least with its commitment to embed workers’ voices in companies and organisations.
WOW also supports a social market economy – the simple idea that capitalism must act in accordance with the common good and must be subject to democratic oversight and outcomes.
All this is necessary but, of course, not sufficient. Workers’ control of industries, not least through co-operative models, is perhaps the missing piece in WOW’s picture. But if more UK unions adopted similar aspirations it would be step forward.
Although I don’t think WOW has all the answers, I do hope to attend future events, some of them online. It is still a fairly small organisation with limited global reach outside of western Europe. But it says interesting things and is making a meaningful contribution to debates on the future of work and the need for modern, relevant, forward-thinking unionism.
Anyone interested in seeing trade unionism survive in this country might want to take a closer look.
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Chris Wilson is an active trade unionist and Christian socialist. He is member of the ILP and active in the Co-operative Party.
See also: ‘Back to the Future: Trade Unions in the 21st Century’ by Chris Wilson.
