The latest DTI statistics on trade union membership in the
UK show that the rate of union membership (union density) fell from 29.0% in 2005 to 28.4% in 2006. This was the largest annual percentage point decline reported in union density since 1998.
These latest DTI statistics are based on the Labour Force Survey for December 2006 and they also show that:
· Whilst the percentage of private sector employees who were union members fell from 17.2% in 2005 to 16.6% in 2006, the percentage of public sector employees who were union members rose from 58.6% in 2005 to 58.6% in 2006.
· Less than one in five private sector employees were covered by collective agreements in 2006 compared to 69% of employees in the public sector.
· For the third consecutive year, a higher percentage of women than men were union members with union density amongst women falling from 29.9% in 2005 to 29.7% in 2006 and that for men falling from 28.1% in 2005 to 27.2% in 2006.