ILPC 2027

This paper adds to academic understanding of how trade unions engage with young people. Union membership in the UK stands at approximately 6.5 million, with a density level of 25.6 per cent (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2014). However, only 3.9 per cent of workers aged 16-24 are union members, although this figure rises to 19 per cent for those aged 25-34 (ibid). The average age of a trade unionist has been increasing for some time and data from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Survey notes the average age to be 48 (Van Wanrooy et al, 2013: 16).

This paper draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 59 young people (29 females, 30 males; mean age = 25) undertaken between January and April 2016. 21 interviews were conducted with young trade union members, as defined by their respective unions (age range 22-30, mean age = 26). 17 interviews were conducted with young workers who were not trade union members working across different sectors (age range 24-29, mean age = 27). 21 interviews were conducted with higher education students from three separate universities in the UK (age range 19-28, mean age = 22). Participants were identified by way of convenience snowball sampling. Data were analysed using thematic analysis (King, 1998). This approach is centred on the researcher identifying a number of codes which represent themes identified in the fieldwork and occupies a position between content analysis, where codes are all predetermined and their distribution is analysed statistically, and grounded theory, where there is no prior definition of codes. A number of codes were developed a priori and modified and added to as the research developed.

This paper examines the views and opinions of young people towards unions, their views and experiences of work, employment and dispute resolution, and numerous factors which would make trade unionism more appealing to young workers.  From this study, it is evident that overall, the young people interviewed are not anti-union in their outlook. Existing members cited family connections as a key reason for their unionisation, as well as being able to witness the benefits of trade unionism first hand. The views of non-members and students were useful in assessing what factors may prohibit them from unionising in the future. An important finding here is that young people do not have a significant level of awareness of trade unionism, with many expressing a desire to have more information on the topic.