Unions have been in the news quite a lot recently, and for most of the time the coverage they receive is not the most favourable. With the economy stagnating and unemployment rising, you would expect to hear of increased activity from unions and the action they are going to take to protect their members. However, at some point, the economy will turn and things will begin to pick up and when things do, what will be the future relationship be like between unions and business? To find the answer, I attended the joint fringe event between Unions21 and Progress titled ‘Can business and Unions have a shared agenda for the new economy?’ and although at first glance the title of the fringe may not set the pulse racing, it was without doubt, one of the most positive and progressive fringe events I have attended in recent years.
Unions and business can work together in a collaborative way with a common sense of purpose, and in many ways, they are already doing so. It was startling to hear from John Hannett, general secretary of USDAW that their union membership, of which all is from the private sector, has continued to increase in recent years against an overall backdrop of declining union membership. They now have a total membership of 407,000 and are working in partnership with Tesco, to represent employees in eight countries across the world. Also, Simon Marsh from the Chemical Industry Association stated that 80 per cent of employees in the chemical industry have union representation, with successful collaborative working between business and unions on many areas such as health and safety. Simon said that more often than not, this collaborative work is not recognised, with a sense of embarrassment that the unions and business can work together. However, as pointed out by John Woodcock MP, this positive relationship between unions and business as is not always the same in the public sector. Although there are shining examples of excellent of excellent relationships, especially in the high-end manufacturing and defence sector, this is not replicated across the public sector as a whole.
So how do we harness what good work is being done and work towards collaborative working? Nita Clarke, director at IPA, made an excellent point that there needs to be a national conversation between unions and business to prepare for the challenges posed by globalisation. John Hannett believes that unions need to develop strategies for working in partnership with business and move out of their comfort zone, challenging traditional orthodoxy of adversarial relationships. And all the panel agreed, that it is only by working together with business rather than against business, that the unlocked potential of British talent can be realised in this ever competitive world. After attending today’s fringe event, I feel more positive about the general direction of travel unions are looking to take.
Jason, they can do a lot more than this.
The Unions have almost limitless ability to play a seriously potent role in community initiatives, as a resource, one that can be grown and developed they can do a heck of a lot more than going on strike (which is always a strategically tricky business in terms of the outcome), more than being brought into a consensus with business (though I think this can be good as long as there is some kind of defining “seperation” to ensure Unions Members interests do not become diluted or gradually eroded.
I was over the moon when some Union Leaders showed real vigour and took a pay cut recently to weaken the Tories and their ilk the ability to attack them. The game has just started for the Unions who really can seize the moment and begin helping the Labour Party develop Community “champions” and “Leaders” who lead by example and enable/empower local people. The weapons and arsenal Unions have in in their Members where skills can be passed on, in the delivery of apprenticeships etc and as a rescue force for deprived areas to go in and build peoples sense of confidence, teamwork and dare I say it…aspiration.
The Unions are a platform that could theoretically deliver tommorrow and become a default policy delivering platform regardless and help to ove the Labour Party forwards.
I am not a Union member YET but I will be one, whether I stick with Labour or not, because I know what they are capable of. Jason you are bang on with the Unions needing to stretch their traditional comfort zones, because traditions are created through necessity as a requirement that must be repeated. Well we are in hard times and its time for a new Generation of traditions that will define the political landscape in our favour for the rest of the century. There has never been nor will there be in my lifetime, such a great opportunity for the Unions to play such a potent role and build real substantive and relevant support for people when its most needed.
There has with the collapse in trust with the establishment been a better time to me moralistic too, so you can create the change and even feel good about it.
If anyone can suggest which Union I should join please email me on my Council email (Barking and Dagenham) which you can find on the Barking and Dagenham website.
The Tories talk about the Big Society, the Unions ARE the Big Society.