Trade union membership is falling across developed nations. In 1985, 30 percent of workers were members of trade unions and that has now fallen to 17 percent.
Reasons for the decline include technological and organisational changes, globalisation, policy reform and the decline of the manufacturing sector. 80 million workers are part of trade unions in OECD member states while about 155 million are covered by collective agreements at national, regional, sectoral or occupational level.
Trade union density varies considerably between countries and Iceland has the highest rate of membership at 91.8 percent. The Icelandic Confederation of Labour alone has 104,500 members, accounting for about half of the country's employees.
Sweden has a high rate of trade union membership at 67 percent while just over a quarter of Irish and Canadian workers are part of a union. Back in 1983, the U.S. had a trade union density of 20.1 percent and today that has fallen to 10.6 percent.
As a result of the big pressure on organising the workers at trade unions, Turkey has a low rate of membership at 6,3.
This chart shows trade union membership as a percentage of total employees. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
