Problems Facing the Trade Union Movement

Abstract

All these books and booklets deal with problems currently facing the trade union movement. Most of them are centred on Britain but two of them deal extensively with developments in other countries and confirm that Britain is not the only country where challenging issues have arisen. Some of them refer to the 'crisis' of the trade union movement. It is a description which I think is mistaken. The term 'crisis' implies the possibility of terminal decline or even oblivion. There is no possibility of such an outcome. So long as there is in existence a section of the population who sell their ability to work to an employer, whether private or public, and who depend on this in come for their livelihood, there will be a striving for effective trade union organisation. This is not to under-estimate the problems. They are serious and they need to be discussed. This is not the first time, however, that the British trade union movement has suffered from the effects of widespread unemployment and hostile legislation. There have been setbacks in the past but there has also been recovery. There will be recovery in the future. Indeed, despite the problems, the unions have so far weathered the adversities rather better than on some previous occasions.