Best Practice Catalogue of Organising Methods in the European Metalworking Industry
ORGANISING METHODS EUROPEAN METALWORKING INDUSTRY
Table of contents
1. Summary...............................................................................................4 2. Introduction......................................................................................5 The European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) EMF current agenda EMF Press Group Survey Work method Validation
5 5 6 6 6 7
3. Membership statistics..........................................................................8 4. Survey findings.................................................................................10 .Introduction .Explaining membership trends . Explaining the decrease . Consequences of declining membership . Explaining the increase .Agency workers . Equal work equal pay campaign Mergers Belonging Consumer awareness Retiring members and ageing society
10 11 11 13 12 13 13 14 14 16 16
5. What are the reasons to organise?.............................................18 6. Identifying potential members........................................................19 .Young workers .Local trade unions and small companies .Collective agreements .Schools .Certain sectors and groups
19 20 20 20 21
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7. Organising ......................................................................................22 Strategies . Annual campaign plan . Organising department . MWB-FGTB Campaign “Capitalism is bad for your health” . Anger/Hope/Action Strategy . Using the collective agreement argument .Trade union work structure . Unionen, Sweden .Trade union presence . Elections, FIM, Italy . The shop steward . FGMM CFDT, France . Hyundai, Czech Republic .Personal contacts .Training for trade union officers . Trade Union Conference (TUC) Organising Academy, UK .Visibility . Sweets as an organising tool .Youth . Vasas, Hungary . GMTN, Austria organising strategies . The Info bus – our “Rolling Service” . FO Métaux, France .Female workers . Vasas, Hungary .Migrant workers . Unite the Union “Amicus section, UK” . Fellesforbundet, Norway . GMB, UK .Schools . Teknikcollege - Work related advanced technical education .National level . Fiat campaign 2006 . Conflict in the car manufacturing sector, IG Metall .Services . Special services with the GMTN-card .Information and Communication Technology (ICT) strategies . Digital trade union . Online career development union .
22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 30 30 32 32 32 33 33 33 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 37 37 38 38 39 39
The Internet . ACV-CSC, Belgium . EMF GM Workers Blog . Advantages with online tools . workSMART . The New Unionism Network . UnionBook . The Internet as a tool against organising Problems when organising . Yellow unions Economic crisis
40 40 40 40 41 42 42 42 43 43 44
8. What measures should trade unions take to retain members in the trade union?..........................................................45 . . .
IG Metall reports it has stopped the decline in membership GMTN example Collective agreements
45 46 46
9. How can trade union members become active in trade union work?..........................................................................47
10. How can trade unions cross implement successful organising campaigns?................................................................48 Further research for improving best practices implementation From catalogue to cross-implementation The following methods of cross-implementation were suggested .by EMF affiliated organisations in the survey: Matrix - minimum requirements for cross-implementation analysis . Finnish Metalworkers’ union . Unison, UK
49 49 50 51 52 52
11. Questions for discussion.............................................................53 12. References . .....................................................................................54 13. notes................................................................................................58
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1. Summary The aim of the study was to pinpoint potential membership and highlight ways of making union membership attractive, getting members to play a more active role in the union and ways of retaining trade union members, considering the union as both a service organisation and a form of social movement. Cross-implementation of best practice was therefore a major aim. The metalworking industry is the focus of the catalogue. The survey mentions the following methods and strategies with regard to organising:
Adopting a trade union structure with a strong focus on organising Organising at the appropriate level: national, regional and local Strong trade union presence in the workplace Well-trained shop stewards Personal relations with individual workers Efficient communications and continuous contact with members Trade union visibility in the workplace and in the media Better use of the Internet as an organising tool Selected use of services.
The target groups mentioned by EMF affiliates as a specific focus for their organising work are youth, i.e. young workers as well as young people who have not yet entered the labour market, female workers and migrant workers. The following methods of cross-implementation were suggested by EMF affiliated organisations in the survey: Joint campaigns between trade unions in countries with a similar organising culture. Joint campaigns between trade unions organising transnational companies. Seminars about successful campaigns. European best practice catalogue and the publication in print and online of successful examples. Channels for exchanging experience that reach beyond borders, such as the Internet. That could make it possible to find out about the best practices and applying them to the national characteristics of a country would make organising more successful while at the same time new practices could be developed. Partnership with other trade unions in other industries, with civil society and international partners.
The catalogue invites EMF affiliates to use it as inspiration for adopting new methods by learning from colleagues in other countries and drawing on their experience. You can learn more about the different trade union campaigns from the EMF website: http:// www.emf-fem.org. Organising must remain high on the agenda in order to ensure a strong social future for the metalworking unions in Europe. Peter Scherrer EMF General Secretary Brussels, April 2009
2. Introduction
The European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) The EMF is an umbrella organisation representing and defending the interests of workers in the European metal industry vis-à-vis the relevant European institutions, organisations and companies. It currently has 72 affiliated organisations and 4 associate-member organisations from 33 countries across Europe, together representing 5.5 million workers. The EMF develops close, continuous co-operation between its member organisations and bases its activities on a 4-year Action Programme voted by its Congress. It has a mandate for the external representation and co-ordination of the metalworkers’ unions, which means that it can coordinate and initiate cross-border trade union activities and engage in bargaining at European level. Monitoring and reacting to the changing economic and social environment for the workers and their trade unions in the metal sector is the basis for the work of the EMF, which is centred on four main areas: industrial policy, collective bargaining policy, company policy and social dialogue.
EMF current agenda The EMF Work Programme adopted for the period 2007-2011 tries to find the appropriate balance between political and practical necessities and given resources in order to present a realistic and achievable view of the work ahead of metalworkers’ trade unions in Europe. In the EMF Political Resolution adopted in 2007 it advocates “A Social Europe through Solidarity: employment – social justice and democracy”. Only by strengthening solidarity between unions and workers in the metal sector across Europe can the EMF play an important role at transnational level as an effective counterpart and a European actor. The EMF is committed to fighting for the development of a Europe centred on economic, social and environmental sustainability. For the EMF, this also means tying political, economic and social developments to the fundamental values of democracy and freedom, justice, solidarity, equal opportunities and rights. These values are vital to the political sustainability of the European Social Model. However, the EMF must also continuously adapt and react to developments in our industries and the challenges they face. Protecting our membership and safeguarding employment is of course the major current challenge in the light of the financial crisis and its effects on our sector, its workers and their unions.
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EMF Press Group In connection with its work on exchange and improvement of communication methods, the EMF Press Group agreed in May 2008 to pay particular attention to methods utilised to organise trade union members since organising has become a challenge to all unions around Europe. It was therefore decided to carry out a study of methods of organising among EMF affiliates and draw up a Best Practice Catalogue. The aim was to pinpoint potential membership and highlight ways of making union membership attractive, getting members to play a more active role in the union and ways of retaining trade union members, considering the union as both a service organisation and a form of social movement. Cross-implementation of best practice was therefore a major aim. The metalworking industry is the focus of the catalogue but examples from other industries, and from certain confederations, are also mentioned.
Survey It was decided that the study on organising would use a questionnaire as its main working tool, which all EMF affiliated organisations would be requested to fill out. The main responsibility for the study would lie with the EMF Press Group, but a Select Working Party (comprising members of the Press Group and the EMF Secretariat’s PR Unit) would be set up to manage the daily work of the project. The survey for the BPC was launched on-line, and sent in pdf format to all EMF affiliates, in English, French and German, in June 2008. It was also sent to the EMF ad hoc youth group and Equal Opportunities Committee because of the special attention paid to these groups in organising campaigns. Each affiliate was asked to contribute with a successful example of an organising case (action/strategy/project/campaign, etc.) that it had carried out. Affiliates were asked to provide a list and description of case studies, to mention measures such as trade union benefits and premiums for joining a union and diversity features such as target groups (e.g. women, migrant workers, young workers or older workers). They were also required to describe what made their action successful and the results, as well as their views as to the components of successful organising and ideas for cross-implementation.
Work method Step one was the gathering of information via the survey responses, which took place from June to November 2008. The Select Working Party (SWP) met in September 2008 to initiate the project work and detail planning and tasks. The SWP members decided to take further contact with affiliates to encourage participation in the survey given that it was important to receive a broad selection of answers, not necessarily from all affiliates but from all regions and particularly the largest affiliates and those that had run successful campaigns over the last five years. (A complete list of all EMF affiliates that answered the survey can be found in the list of references on page 54.)
The SWP checked affiliates’ websites for organisation campaigns and asked them to supply examples of organising material. A mid-term review of the project was presented at the EMF Press Group meeting in November 2008 although not all the information and material had been collected at that point. Step two of the data gathering from EMF affiliated organisations was therefore carried out from November 2008 to March 2009. A second meeting of the SWP took place in early February 2009 to review and analyse the results of the survey and progress on the writing of the report. The theoretical analysis of the results of the study and its conclusions by academic experts was undertaken in February and the conclusions finalised by the SWP in March 2009. The final Best Practice Catalogue was presented at the EMF Press Group meeting in Rome on 3rd April 2009 and at the EMF Executive Committee meeting 2-3 June 2009. The research methods used were a combination of the survey and a desk study of current academic data along with interviews with and contributions from Kurt Vandaele, Professor Jeremy Waddington and researcher Michael Crosby. The theory put forward is based on the survey replies and all connecting data relates directly to what the survey indicated.
Validation Three independent experts have been contacted in order to help with the theoretical analysis, validate the research results and give feedback and suggestions for improvements. These are Kurt Vandaele, Professor Jeremy Waddington and researcher Michael Crosby. The EMF wishes to thank them for their work.
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3. Membership statistics
Organisation 1
AT
GMTN
2
BE
3
BE
4
BE
CCMB
5
BE
LBC/NVK
6
BE
7
BE
8 9
Congress period 2003 – 2007
Congress period 2007- 2011
180.000
175.000
MWB-FGTB
80.000
80.000
ABVV-Metaal
80.000
80.000
160.000
160.000
20.000
20.000
SETCa
10.870
10.870
CNE
10.000
10.000
BE
ACLVB/CGSLB
20.350
20.350
CH
UNIA
68.252
57.293
10
CH
SYNA
16.000
16.000
11
CY
OVIEK-SEK
4.000
4.000
12
CZ
OS KOVO
160.810
160.810
13
DE
IG Metall
1.700.000
1.700.000
14
DK
CO industri
235.000
170.000
15
DK
IDA
16.000
16.000
16
EL
POEM
15.128
12.451
17
ES
MCA-UGT
100.000
100.000
18
ES
FTM-ELA
27.709
27.000
19
ES
FM/CC.OO
100.000
100.000
20
FI
Metalli
128.808
125.000
21
FI
TU
23.000
22.000
22
FI
UIL
11.000
11.500
23
FI
TEK
10.000
10.000
24
FI
Finnish Electrical Union’workers
10.000
10.000
25
FR
FOM
76.000
76.000
26
FR
FO Déf. Nat
10.000
10.000
27
FR
FGMM-CFDT
80.000
80.000
28
FR
FEAE-CFDT
11.200
10.000
29
FR
FM/CFTC
12.000
18.000
30
FR
FTM/CGT
68.000
68.000
31
FR
FNTE/CGT
12.000
12.000
32
HU
VASAS
31.600
29.800
33
IE
SIPTU
10.000
10.000
34
IS
Samidn
10.000
10.000
35
IT
FIOM-CGIL
220.000
200.000
36
IT
FIM-CISL
100.000
100.000
37
IT
UILM
70.000
75.000
38
LU
OGB-L
10.000
10.000
39
LU
LCGB
10.000
10.000
40
MT
Gen, Workers’Union
41
NL
FNV Bondgenoten
42
NL
43
NL
44 45
10.000
10.000
102.781
91.000
CNV Bedrijvenbond
25.500
22.500
De Unie
10.000
10.000
NL
VHP Metalektro
10.000
10.000
NO
Fellesforbundet
51.045
46.700
46
NO
Handel og Kontor
10.000
10.000
47
NO
TEKNA
15.000
15.000
48
NO
NITO
15.000
16.000
49
PL
Solidarnosc
60.000
60.000
50
PL
OPZZ
51
PT
SIMA
50.500
30.000
52
PT
FIEQUIMETAL
50.500
50.500
53
SE
IF Metall
289.737
272.636
54
SE
Sif
123.549
121.000
55
SE
Sveriges ingenjörer
22.500
23.000
56
SI
SKEI
41.911
35.935
57
SK
OZ KOVO
62.117
43.215
58
TR
BIRLESIK-IS
10.000
10.000
59
UK
Amicus-AEEU
422.000
422.000
60
UK
TGWU
120.000
80.000
61
UK
GMB
35.000
20.000
62
UK
Community
33.730
25.000
63
BA
Metalca Bosne i Hercegovina
10.000
10.000
64
BG
Tufoemi KNCB (Nftini Podkrepa CL)
5.000
5.000
BG
Nftini Podkrepa CL (Tufoemi KNCB)
5.000
5.000
65
BG
Bulgarian Metalworkers’ Union
0
10.000
66
BG
Metalicy
13.000
10.000
67
HR
SMH
26.942
21.735
68
KS
SPMK
12.000
10.000
69
ME
Metalworkers Montenegro MTUM
70
MK
SIER
12.000
16.980
71
RE
GSM/NEZAVISNOST
45.000
30.000
72
RO
FSS Metarom
15.000
10.800
73
RO
FNS Solidaritatea Metal
10.000
20.000
74
RO
FSLI-Metal
11.000
11.000
75
FR
Partnership CFE - CGC
27.500
27.500
Total
5.681.039
5.450.575
10.000
11.000
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4. Survey findings Introduction1 The unique thing that trade unions do is to get workers to unite together, build their collective power and achieve a better life for themselves. As a result, it is not likely that unions can get power through membership increases that are driven by the selling of goods or services. All kinds of organisations can and do provide insurance, legal advice, discounted goods through bulk buying, holidays, job search, market rate surveys. If unions can do all or any of these things at low cost and without distraction from their main task - then fine, they should do them. They are an additional benefit for union members and we should be keen on that. But they are not our core business. The same conclusion can be reached about generalised advertising campaigns encouraging people to join. A lot of union movements are spending very big money on this right now - notably the Danes and the Dutch. The Americans tried it with their Union Yes campaign in the 80s. Even if some workers ring up the union and join, they will come from scattered workplaces all over the economy. In taking them into membership the union will not be doing its core business of building power through collective strength. Indeed, it runs the risk that it underlines its lack of power. If one worker in a workplace of a 100 joins as a result of an advertising campaign what can the union do to defend his or her rights? Provide advice on legal entitlements; give information on the industry and employment conditions. But they cannot provide access to collective power. This is not to say that there is no place for advertising. I would love someone to give me the money to help with an organising campaign so that we could confront a boss with his bad behaviour on the television, or let people know that the union was organising the plant at Hyundai and if they wanted to talk to one of the organisers ring this number….and so on. Instead, communications experts justify advertising as a way of raising the profile of unions and making them attractive to workers. Given the enormous expense, this is an unconvincing argument. People recognise that they protect workers and have some chance of ensuring that workers get a fairer share of the society’s wealth. In the US for example, one of the countries with the most feral employer community and inbuilt antagonism to unions, more than half of the workers would join a union if they could. That goes for almost every country in fact. Union density in almost every country has been falling for years – in many cases catastrophically. The problem is that the US provides the dominant model of capitalism and that is a non-union – indeed anti-union – model. That infection is spreading to the rest of the world. Workers are not only not joining unions because they lack knowledge of what the union can do – they do not join because their boss has all the power and makes it very clear that to join the union would be a profound act of disloyalty. That means that the correct strategic response is both to increase awareness of unions and also to pressure employers to allow workers to organise. 1) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009
Explaining membership trends Explaining the decrease The explanation for the decline in trade union membership can be divided into external and internal factors. The external factors are mainly three major developments within manufacturing industry in general. These are: rising unemployment, the changing composition of the labour force and the employers resisting unionisation more now than in the past.2 The internal factors can be labelled trade union inadequacies, meaning that trade unions have forgotten how to unionise workers and have not implemented the necessary reforms to adjust to the needs of the modern worker.3 It is often a matter of an image problem that many trade unions are facing. Trade unions in the metalworking industry are perceived as too formal and old-fashioned to attract younger workers. They are also seen as being dominated by middle-aged men, plus trade unionists in the workplace are more often than not men. Trade union structures are not ays welcoming to certain groups of workers, other than the young, such as migrants and women.4 The decreasing numbers are explained in the survey by several factors, the most prominent of which are the general structural changes in the metalworking industry. Already in the mid 1970s there was a rise in mass unemployment5, but the structural changes have been enhanced in the last 5 to 10 years with jobs disappearing though lay offs and outsourcing, increased automatisation in production and the fact that job descriptions are changing from manufacturing jobs to jobs in services.
Consequences of declining membership If unions lose membership they lose income. If they lose financial and material resources, they can provide fewer services. If they represent fewer members, they lose clout not only as regards their bargaining power but also as regards their level of political influence in shaping labour market, social or industrial policies. Furthermore, the solidarity they have fought so hard to establish has been achieved by strong trade unions, but there is also a strong risk of this being undermined if the unions lose power through loss of membership. Today’s society is very individualistic, yet we see a wish to belong and social interaction is something that is vital to maintain. Trade unions are a counter to this 2) Jeremy Waddington, “Trade union membership in Europe – The extent of the problem and the range of trade union responses”, 2005 3) Interview with Jeremy Waddington, 4 March 2009 4) Jeremy Waddington, “Trade union membership in Europe – The extent of the problem and the range of trade union responses”, 2005 5) Bernhard Ebbinghaus, “Trade union’s changing role: membership erosion, organisational reform, and social partnership in Europe”, 2002
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trend towards individualism as they advocate the importance of joint action and solidarity. Modern trade unions are recognised as social partners with a full role to play in addressing not only industry-related or work-related problems but also societal problems such as exclusion, poverty, education and migration as well as issues such as globalisation, the environment and consumer protection. The unions provide a counterweight to employers, and government, at local, national and European level. They represent a collective force as the spokesperson for working people. A decline in the role and influence of the trade unions would prevent their voice from being heard. At the workplace, weak trade union membership leading to weak trade union representation would have very negative consequences for workers both individually and collectively. We are already faced with the difficulties of restructuring, unemployment and outsourcing in the current economic situation and unions have a vital role to play in finding acceptable solutions for our industries. But a lack of trade union power would lead to a deterioration in working conditions and lower protection, and allow workforces to be played off the one against the other. Maintaining solidarity is all-important and the cross-border solidarity established by the metalworkers has been vital in times of Europe-wide restructuring to maintain jobs, prevent closures and diminish the effects of down-sizing in companies and local communities. A decline in the role and influence of the trade unions would only increase individualism at the workplace, with very negative consequences on solidarity and collective action.
Explaining the increase Unions that provide unemployment insurance provide an incentive to workers either to join the union or stay on as members. Potential members may perceive that there is a benefit for them to be unionised in the situation of unemployment.6 Unemployment may not always hurt membership figures, but in fact also help increase numbers. In times of lay offs many people feel the need for security. Trade union membership provides such security through unemployment funds and support. This is however only the case in Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Sweden - the so-called Ghent countries. Contrary to other trade unions Unionen (Sweden) does not see a decrease of membership overall, but rather sees itself as a supporting organising people want to stay in for support. 7 The results of the survey indicate a few reasons for the increase in membership numbers where these have occurred. These include a change in trade union organising focus from traditional metalworkers to new member groups including white-collar workers, the young, women and migrant workers. Awareness-raising campaigns are also becoming more common as part of trade union strategies.
6) Bernhard Ebbinghaus, “Trade union’s changing role: membership erosion, organisational reform, and social partnership in Europe”, 2002 7) Hanna Brandt Gonzales, Unionen, ”Unionen ökar kraftigt”, 16 January 2009, https://www.unionen.se/Templates/News____42810.aspx
Agency workers The increase of agency workers also poses a challenge to organisation efforts. The EMF 2008 campaign on precarious work8 deals with the special situation of agency workers. In the survey this group is mentioned as especially difficult to organise9. Five concrete reasons are given. These are: Agency workers are only in the workplace for a limited time; their employer is the agency, not the company they are actually doing the work for; their employment is precarious, so they do not want to take the ‘risk’ of joining a trade union; it is difficult for unions to get access to them and they are likely to be on different pay and have different working conditions. The strategy for organising agency workers needs to be thought through very carefully.10 If they are still a minority of the workforce, then the full-time workers need to be mobilized to demand justice for the agency workers when they work in their plant. But that means that trade unions have to be very careful of the language used. Employers would easily characterise what is said as an attempt by the union to destroy the work opportunities of the agency workers. Trade unions must always talk about the need to get justice for agency workers not to destroy agency employment. Where agency workers form the majority of employees – as they do for example in the cleaning or security industry – those unions find that organising the employer alone is useless. If trade unions win they simply make the good employers uncompetitive and the newly-enrolled members lose their jobs. In this case trade unions have to organise the client to make sure that they will only contract with agency employers who adhere to union set standards.
Equal work equal pay campaign11 IG Metall has launched a campaign called “Gleiche Arbeit, Gleiches Geld” (Equal Work, Equal Pay). The aim of this campaign is to ensure that temporary workers receive the same pay as ‘normally’ employed workers from day one. On average, temporary workers are/were being paid around 20% to 40% less than workers on a ‘standard work’ contract doing the same job. They also have less holiday entitlement and uncertain future perspectives. Poor working conditions for temporary workers lower the social conditions for all workers.
8) Contribution by Bart Samyn, EMF Deputy General Secretary: On 7 October EMF and IMF organised a global action day against precarious employment. The objective was: - The massive expansion of precarious work must be stopped - Where precarious work does exist, wages and conditions must be equal to those of regular workers and full coverage of social security should be guaranteed - Workers should be directly hired and indirect employment discouraged - Basic job security has to be guaranteed, as well as full protection in the field of health and safety The global action day was a clear signal to employers and governments all over the world that this is no longer acceptable. http://www.precariouswork.eu 9) Contribution by Jenny Holdcroft, Director of Equal Rights at the IMF on 26 January 2009 10) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 11) Website of IG Metall campaign, http://www.gleichearbeit-gleichesgeld.de
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Mergers Even though the survey replies suggest that trade union mergers and internal structural changes cause a decline in membership when some members fall between the cracks of merging unions, it is rather in response to the financial difficulties caused by declining membership and ongoing economic restructuring that unions have engaged in several mergers in recent years.12
Belonging The survey respondents also indicate that there is a decrease of solidarity in society. Does a decrease of solidarity in society indicate a rise of individualism?13 It is often said that workers are now like consumers, more individual. Whether or not that theory is accurate is debatable. Workers formed collectives in the first place to defend their individual interests, but they understood very clearly that the best and probably only way of getting ahead was as part of a collective. That is still true today. Free of employer opposition, workers sign up in droves so that they can bargain collectively rather than individually. In social psychology, the need to belong is an intrinsic motivation to affiliate with others and be socially accepted. This need plays a role in a number of social phenomena such as self-presentation, social comparison and is important for our growth to independence, inner freedom and maturity. It is only through belonging that we can break out of individualism. Belongingness is the human need to be an accepted member of a group. Whether it is family, friends, co-workers, or a sports team, humans have an inherent desire to belong and be an important part of something greater than them.14 The motive to belong is the need for “strong, stable relationships with other people.”15 This implies a relationship that is greater than simple acquaintance or familiarity. There is an innate need to identify with a group, both for protection and for security, to discover and affirm our identity, and to use the group to prove our worthiness and goodness, indeed even to prove that we are better than others. Abraham Maslow indeed suggested that the need to belong was a major source of human motivation. He thought that it was one of five basic needs, along with physiological, safety, self-esteem, and self-actualization.16 These needs are arranged in a hierarchy and must be satisfied in that order.
12) Bernhard Ebbinghaus, “Trade union’s changing role: membership erosion, organisational reform, and social partnership in Europe”, 2002 13) Contribution by Michael Crosby, January 2009 14) Susan Fiske, “Social beings: A core motives approach to social psychology”, 2004 15) F.C Mish, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 2003 16) H.S Friedman and M.W Schustack, “Personality: Classic theories and modern research”, 2006
Individuals join groups with which they have commonalities, whether it is sense of humour, style in clothing, socio-economic status, or career goals. In general, individuals seek out those who are most similar to them. People like to feel that they can relate to someone and those who are similar to them give them that feeling. People also like those that they think they can understand and who they think can understand them.17 When it comes to reasons to join a union in the UK a variety of reasons are put forward18:
Support if I have a problem at work Improved pay and conditions Because I believe in trade unions Most people at work are members Free legal advice Industrial benefits Training and education Financial services Professional services
“If you have any problem at work it makes sense to have someone on your side. A trade union provides support and representation for members on all work-related issues. A union is there to improve your pay and conditions and only a strong trade union can win a better deal for the workforce and ensure you get a fair deal in all areas of your working life.” Unite the Union19
17) Susan Fiske, “Social beings: A core motives approach to social psychology”, 2004 18) Jeremy Waddington and Colin Whitston, “Why Do People Join Unions in a Period of Membership Decline?”, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 35, Number 4, December 1997 , pp. 515-546 19) Website of Unite The Union, http://www.amicustheunion.org/default.aspx?page=4158
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Consumer awareness Awareness of trade union members is nowadays compared with the expected awareness of consumers. Members want to know what trade union membership gives them – “What is in it for me?” Members are better informed today and are more demanding about trade union performance as a result of their education as modern consumers. But provided trade unions deliver the core agenda of collective power they will generally be happy. Trade unions have to pay attention to a range of managerial issues today that we could afford to be lax about in the past like efficient membership systems, answering the phone, returning messages, good communications, effective use of the internet etc. Trade unions need to be confident in the fact that collective action works and workers understand that.20
Retiring members and ageing society There are two conflicting trends in Europe: a demographic shift towards population ageing and a massive decrease in the labour force participation of older workers (aged 50 years and over).21 These trends and the two socio-economic concerns of most European welfare states that have been re-enforced as a consequence, are the increasing costs for welfare states to finance ‘pathways’ from employment to official retirement, and the threat of labour market shortages in the near future as a result of both the ageing process and the early exit of older workers. A variety of new policy initiatives can be observed emerging from these changes in many European countries. The obvious challenge facing the trade unions in relation to these trends and concerns is the impact on trade unions membership numbers and the direct implication this has on trade union economy and negotiation power. Considerations on cost/benefit analysis for including retired workers as members in trade unions versus excluding them are an important aspect for many trade unions today. One of the most important developments has taken place in the Italian union movement, where every second trade union member has retired from the labour force. The share of pensioners has in fact increased from 10% in 1970 to 49% in 1997.22 Although trade unions focus on workers who have a job, they are important for the working class in general, including retired workers. In Germany there are three main reasons for this importance.23
20) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 21) Ibid. 22) Bernhard Ebbinghaus, “Trade union’s changing role: membership erosion, organisational reform, and social partnership in Europe”, 2002 23) Kohli, H. Künemund, J. Wolf, “The International Journal of Social Welfare, Trade unions and the elderly population: is retirement still linked to the sphere of work?”, 1997
1. The unions have become one of the largest old-age organisations. 2. In a corporatist work and welfare regime such as Germany, the unions are one of the key actors not only in labour market policy but also in social policy, including the generation contract of old-age security. 3. The unions potentially link the retirees to the sphere of work, and thus to the concerns and conflicts of the work society. In an aging society, the saliency of such a link between work and retirement is increasing. On the one hand, with their active membership decreasing, unions are compelled to turn also to those who have retired from work to maintain their organisational strength. On the other hand, the retired workers have a greater interest in union activity. By calling for a larger share in union affairs, they present the unions with an organisational dilemma. Even though trade unions should also provide support for retired members, the key task is to build power at work and this should not be forgotten. That means trade unions have to spend most of their resources organising the next generation and the migrant replacements for current workers. Even the retired workers would be horrified if they thought that a union like IG Metall was reduced to irrelevance amongst modern workers. Further, even in advocating their interests it would lose all credibility as a vibrant and credible force in society if it was simply filled with people who had retired.24
24) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009
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5. What are the reasons to organise? The survey suggests that the reasons for organising are: falling membership numbers, strengthening the political position of the trade unions and strengthening the social movement. Other reasons are also suggested in the academia; such as generating an income through subscriptions, securing legitimacy and recognition from employers and government and of creating bargaining power.25 According to Michael Crosby26, the reasons to organise focus directly on workers’ needs and: 1. Workers and their families are above all else human beings – not a “factor of production” or a “human resource”. They must be treated with dignity. 2. Workers must have the right to earn a wage sufficient to support them and their families. 3. The only way this can be achieved is by helping them to empower themselves, by helping them participate in their unions so that they have the power to achieve justice. The way they do that is by organising as a collective. 4. Unions do not get more powerful by getting smaller. 5. Trade unions must help workers to rebuild their strength both nationally, across Europe, and internationally. Jeremy Waddington suggests that the main reasons for trade unions to organise are finances and bargaining power.27 Since most trade unions depend on membership fees as their main source of income a loss of members means less financial resources. The decrease in members also means a direct loss of bargaining power and political influence. Other factors influence organising as well.28 Strategies pursued by other actors such as governments and employers have an effect on trade union strategies. If the state takes the role as an authoritive social partner it reduces the need to rely on the internal sources of strength normally developed through organising. The opposite situation with a decline in trade union influence or presence in the economy leads to increased organising efforts. The strategies of employers also have an influence in cases such as union-busting, general opposition and a hostile environment in the workplace. The survey also suggests that there is an increase of members as soon as changes occur in the workplace or at local level.
25) Carole M. Frege and John Kelly, “Varieties of unionism: Strategies for union revitalization in a globalizing economy”, 2004 26) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 27) Jeremy Waddington, “Trade union membership in Europe – The extent of the problem and the range of trade union responses”, 2005 28) Carole M. Frege and John Kelly, “Varieties of unionism: Strategies for union revitalization in a globalizing economy”, 2004
6. Identifying potential members A strategic approach where a trade union systematically identifies potential members is clearly a way of finding out where the potential lies for increasing membership numbers. Several EMF affiliates have researched their membership potential and suggest the following groups as important targets.
Young workers Today, young workers have a clear incentive to join a trade union. They face a higher degree of joblessness and more problems to find an apprenticeship. They stay longer in tertiary education, obtain more part-time and atypical contracts and work more in white-collar and service sector jobs, which are less associated with unionisation.29 Nevertheless, the young are less willing to commit themselves to long-term membership and it is a challenge to create the form of trade union that may be more attractive to students and first job seekers. The young workers state a range of reasons why they are not joining a trade union. Lack of knowledge about what trade unions do and how they function are two reasons and this may encourage unions to develop better information strategies for young workers. Another reason is the image of trade unions. Trade unions are often associated with workplaces that organise strikes or have a high level of workplace accidents and poor health and safety conditions. Workers in precarious conditions do not see any point in joining because they are not convinced that trade unions can make any difference for them. Young workers in small workplaces cite problems with their employer as a typical reason for not joining a union Communicating directly with the employer rather than doing so via the trade union may also be easier in a small workplace.30 The size of the trade union may have a negative impact on the likeliness of having young members.31 Some larger trade unions state that they only have marginal percentages of young members. With the exception of FM.CC.OO in Spain32, it seems that most trade unions in the EU have problems attracting young workers. This tendency is less in Central and Eastern Europe.
29) Bernhard Ebbinghaus, “Trade union’s changing role: membership erosion, organisational reform, and social partnership in Europe”, 2002 30) Marcus Kahmann, ”Trade unions and young people: challenges of the changing age composition of unions, 2002 31) Ibid. 32) Spain (like Ireland) is a country with a young population, which to a certain extent explains the rather high level of young workers within the unions compared to other countries. Commentary by Kurt Vandaele, ETUI, 5 March 2009.
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The survey mentions young workers as a clear target group for trade union membership. Special campaigns have aimed at young people in the workplace and at newly-hired young people. The survey mentions the fact that all young workers should be given an introduction to the trade union by the shop steward or by other colleagues who are trade union members. It is also vital that all workers should be asked to join a trade union!
Local trade unions and small companies Local trade unions have a big responsibility when making contact with local companies and individuals. Local unions play a role in respect of small companies without trade union presence when it comes to offering advice on legal matters for instance. Trade unions should also pay attention to newly-started companies, especially small companies. Making visits and providing information to employees can attract new members. Work councils and social elections can also be utilised to attract members from small companies.
Collective agreements Making sure that all workers covered by a collective agreement in a workplace are unionised is a good start when looking for new members. Some unions do this by visiting companies and informing the workers about trade unions. Other unions investigate actively the number of employees at a work place with and without collective agreements. They also investigate and analyse the organisation rate by obtaining data from different statistical bureaus. The data is then compared with the trade union register of collective agreements per local branch.33
Schools Building contacts with schools on different levels is a good start. However, visiting lower levels may be a waste of scarce resources. Firstly, there are too many of them. Secondly, trade union talks are rarely given by young officials close to the school age group, which makes trade unionists in general look “old”. Sending the wrong trade union representative may bore the students rigid and let them see how bad the union’s worst performers are. If the trade unions send someone really good who will inspire them then that person is not doing the job he should be doing of mobilizing workers. The general rule is that workers should be organised by workers who are similar to the workers you want to organise, e.g. young female part-time workers should be organised by other young female part-timers.34
33) IF Metall, Sweden, “Organsiera Rekrytera” Project, http://www.metall.se/ifmetall/home/home.nsf/ LUUnique/starka%20tillsammans%20%3Cbr%3E-%20organisera,%20rekrytera 34) Commentary by Kurt Vandaele, ETUI, 5 March 2009
What works really well is getting trade union officers to go to high schools, universities and vocational schools – so nurses, teachers, and engineers, apprentice training, etc. Best of all is when the union is running a campaign for apprentices’ rights and the end of the session is devoted to getting the students to join and get involved in the campaign.35 In several countries students combine university or high school with some work to have an income and therefore also need trade union membership and support.36 Some EMF affiliates have focused campaigns on providing information to young and female students and some have also offered free membership to students.
Certain sectors and groups Identifying potential members in sectors where there is continuous turn-around of staff with both high and low skills levels is also an important target group for many trade unions. Temporary workers sometimes fall under the responsibility of the local trade union when it comes to organising them and looking after their wages and working conditions. See page – for the IG Metall campaign – targeting temporary workers. “The most important task for IF Metall is to organise each possible member and see to it that as many as possible of these members would also like to be active in our union activities.” IF Metall, Sweden, from the adopted Congress programme 2006
35) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 36) Commentary by Kurt Vandaele, ETUI, 5 March 2009
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7. Organising The survey responses tell us that organising take different shapes, aims at different target groups and uses different methods. The target groups and methods are listed together below, with one or more examples of organising campaigns.
Strategies At the core of an organising strategy37 are the selection of organising targets, the adoption of organising methods, and the allocation of resources. Trade unions vary in their commitment to organise new members. It can include formal organisation plans, budgets, objectives, targets and procedures. However, this type of commitment is not typical. Furthermore, trade unions can choose between raising their density in membership numbers or expanding into new unorganised sectors, groups or workplaces. The depth of the organising effort also varies between simply building membership or engaging in union-building, that is to say, a collective organisation within and between workplaces that will later on provide a basis for the future. Some trade unions organise members as a routine i.e. as part of their daily work, while others make concentrated organising efforts through a planned activity lasting for a certain time. New organising policies are continuously developed38 as a result of political change, changes in government, new groups of activists such as NGOs and through exchange of information with trade unions in other countries, as well as influences from forms of social movements other than labour-related ones. Campaigning issues should arise through talking with workers and discussing problems. It is not for the organisers to impose campaign issues, but rather to identify them.39 The adoption of a clear recruitment strategy is mentioned consistently throughout the survey. Constant awareness-raising and providing information about trade union work, its goals and its services as part of the daily work is also consistently stressed. The pro-active response (trade union action against problems in the work place like low wages and employer behaviour) shows how a trade union can be useful in the workplace and it adds immediate attention to organising. According to Jeremy Waddington, there are three conditions for a successful organising campaign40: 37) Carola M. Frege and John Kelly, “Varieties of unionism: Strategies for union revitalisation in a globalising economy”, 2004 38) Ibid. 39) Unison handbook, “Organising migrant workers“, 2008 40) Interview with Jeremy Waddington, 4 March 2009
1. Work systematically: Make sure that adequate resources are available for the campaign, set targets, monitor results, discuss them and adapt the campaign as needed. 2. Target your efforts: A campaign may target a certain profession, a sector, a company or a geographical area. The most important thing is to make a choice. If the campaign targets workplaces where the union already has a presence, it is important to map the workplace. Find out who are already union members and which issues are important to workers. Address these issues in your campaign literature. 3. The role of workplace activists is crucial: Make sure they are adequately trained before the campaign is launched. Several examples have been presented to the EMF and below you find some of them described in detail.
Annual campaign plan FIM-CISL (Italy) adopts a detailed annual organising campaign, which is based on the distribution of posters in all companies with FIM-CISL representation. The posters symbolize and present keywords, images of workers, the possibility of getting benefits through services providing support for union members as well as news on wage settlements at company, regional and national levels. There are also many local, district or sector initiatives (for example within Fincantieri, Fiat, Finmeccanica) impacting on several areas during a given period of time.
Organising department The T&G section of Unite (UK) has established a national organising structure and organising department to push forward their strategy for growth.41 Organising is the key to the future; it is a focus on taking trade unionism out to the millions of workers who need it. The T&G is grasping these new opportunities and is refocusing its time, money and effort into organising. The work of rebuilding is about much more than just organising. Union organisation depends on developing a whole new generation of activists and representatives, able to embed trade unionism and win and grow in the workplace by becoming active again. Working with and across all regions, the national organising department is focused on two main aims: 1. Strengthening organisation in existing workplaces to win and grow through the 100% Membership Campaign. 2. Organising the unorganised on a scale no union has ever attempted as the T&G mobilises to bring trade unionism to workplaces throughout Britain and Ireland.
41) T&G website: http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=92090, 17 February 2009
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T&G talks about key principles that make their organising efforts successful42. These are: Organising by sector Rebuilding the shop steward movement by site, by company, by sector, and globally Move wins for workers across sectors of the economy Build sector combines to bring together activists from across the industry Build sector agreements that seek to eliminate the race to the bottom on wages, terms and conditions of workers.
MWB-FGTB Campaign “Capitalism is bad for your health” This brand-new campaign is due to run for several months peaking around 1st May 2009. It is a truly innovatory campaign as it is not directed towards workers alone. Its aim is not to affiliate at all costs but to incite debate and thinking about the potential courses we could propose to cope with the current crisis. Our ambition is not only to reach out to the trade union movement but also to public opinion. In order to do so we have opened up our debate to cultural and academic circles suggesting that they work on various items. The first few ideas for discussion proposed to the public are now available on the following website: www.contre-attaque.be Anger/Hope/Action Strategy FNV Bondgenoten (NL) uses the following strategy based on human emotions and reactions. It consists of three stages, which include a description of reactions. The first stage is Anger. It is defined by the workers’ need to want to change things in the workplace for the better. Since the trade union cannot recommend that workers get angry with the boss, they must recognise that. Organisers in the work place then agitate around the issue (problem or complaint). The theory is that Anger is the antidote to fear. However, since anger is not enough, a second stage is called for. This stage is called Hope and here the organisers must provide a vision, a possibility of change and show how things can change when all the workers come together. The third and final stage is Action and it includes getting the workers to carry out a task to conquer and solve the problem. Here it is important not to overload but instead build on small tasks, as well as always test the action and build up confidence with the workers involved in the action and, as a final step, push towards collective public action.
42) T&G website: http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=92090, 17 February 2009
Using the collective agreement argument “The collective agreement is the most important argument”, says Mikael Andersson, organiser for IF Metal in Sweden. He continues: “The foundation for a strong agreement that provides better wages and conditions is dependent on the strength of many members acting together. What is equally important is that each member belongs to the trade union that is organising that particular work place. Then everybody is sure to receive individual support and collective strength.”43 The purpose of the IF Metall project “Strong Together – Organise/Recruit”44 is to make organising new members a continuously ongoing project with high priority in all IF Metall activities. A trade union commitment to organising should also have a high priority in order to have a local trade union presence at the work place. The project should be seen as a first step towards a changed way of working. In order to reach this a strong commitment is needed within local branches where the local officers have an important role to play. The project should be thoroughly established within the unions’ ordinary activities. The main responsibility lies with the Organising Department and should be integrated in its work. Already on-going organisation work within the local branches should be included in the project and also be a natural part of other activities, such as health and safety, study circles, committees and so on. At the end of the project both local branches and the head office have created a permanent structure, methods and tools for organising workers. The main objective is to increase the membership level. All employees within the branches where IF Metall has signed collective agreements should have been asked: “Would you like to join our union?” Another objective is to recruit more local trade union representatives and increase the IF Metall presence at smaller work places in particular.
Trade union work structure
Illustration by Bo Persson
Improvements in the work structure of the trade union with a stronger focus on local trade union presence and the organising of more local structures/trade union groups in the work place are both mentioned in the survey. If the core task of the trade unions is to build collective power, the best way to do this is by building a work or occupational structure that is vibrant. That is how workers see the power of the trade union.45 The most durable trade union movements are those that have maintained a strong organisation at both central and local levels with effective cooperation between the two. Apart from the Ghent system, another reason why 43) IF Metall magazine Info no 1/2009, “Mikael hjälper anställda att hamna rätt” 44) Contribution by Annette Lack, IF Metall, 6 May 2008 45) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009
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unionisation rates are still high in Sweden is good coordination between centralised and decentralised union levels and good union access to the workplace.46
Unionen, Sweden 47 Some of the workplace branches in Unionen use a visual way to show their members the value of membership. One way to visualize the benefits of the union is to give the members an opportunity to evaluate the workplace branch. Once a workplace branch has helped a member, it gives the member a questionnaire in which they may rate their satisfaction with the help received and the way they were treated by the elected representatives, etc. The workplace branch then compiles the ratings and shows its members the average grade the members have given the workplace branch. This is a clear way of showing the members how satisfied they are with the work of the union in the workplace branch. Another way to visualize the union work is to show the members which issues the workplace branch has been working on over a given period. For example: “during the period X, we have helped seventeen members with workplace issues and five with work-related injuries.” The workplace branch does not add any personal information about these members. This is a way to show union members what the workplace branch is doing.
Trade union presence The fact that the trade union is actually present in the workplace is described as a major reason for the success of an organising campaign. Trade union work on the shop floor is normally done by the shop steward (see page 27). It cannot be stressed enough how important that person is in relation to representing the trade union and explaining its aims and purposes to the workers, making them see the necessity of belonging to a trade union as well as showing that they themselves are important and that their efforts matter at shop floor level. Hence, the presence of trade unions gives the workers confidence and create a feeling of togetherness and strength.
Elections, FIM-CISL, Italy Using an important event such as the election of the trade union representatives to highlight the advantages of trade union membership: Considering the fact that this event involves many workers, it is a perfect opportunity to draw attention to the benefits of trade union work, to inform the workers about the union’s achievements and to show them how the union is concentrating its efforts on all the issues of current concern: equality, female workers, safety at work and life long learning. 46) Stefania Marino and Judith Roosblad, “Migration and trade unions: A Comparison between Dutch and Italian trade union actions and strategies”, ETUI, Transfer, Volume 14 number 4 2008 47) Contribution by Kenneth Hedman, Unionen, 26 February 2009
The shop steward 48 Shop steward is the official title of a position within the organisational hierarchy of a trade union. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that rank-and-file members of the union hold this position voluntarily (through democratic election by fellow workers or sometimes by appointment of a higher union body), while maintaining their role as an employee of the company. As a result, the shop steward becomes a significant link and conduit of information between the union leadership and rank-and-file workers. The duties of a shop steward vary according to each union’s constitutional mandate for the position. In general, most union stewards perform the following functions: Monitoring and enforcing the provisions of the collective agreement to ensure that neither the company nor the union’s workers violate the terms of the agreement. Ensuring that the firm is in compliance with all national, local and other laws and regulations. Representing and defending fellow workers whom the company believes violated company policy or the terms and conditions of the collective agreement, often through the grievance process. Communicating and disseminating official union policy, memos and directives to workers at the workplace. Popularising and promoting union consciousness and values in the workplace. Informing the workers about the official negotiating bodies (works council, safety committee, etc.). Working together in a close relationship with the elected members from the other bodies. Building up a network with his/her members/workers in his/her area so as to obtain information also from the shop floor. Building up a communication strategy, i.e. by organizing himself/herself so that workers can always reach him/her when needed. Seeing to it that union members feel a difference (in quality) when they are a member versus not being a member. They must feel they are protected.
FGMM-CFDT, France It is within companies that we can carry out recruitment. Therefore it is our trade union teams at company level that are mobilised for this action. The FGMM offers a training course for all members with a mandate to represent employees within the same plant/company. This training is in three stages: firstly a 3-day seminar and then a 2-day seminar two to three months later, and, in between the two, an enquiry carried out within the company. During the first seminar, the trade union team makes an inventory of the main problems encountered by the employees in the course of their work and takes stock of the trade union situation within the company, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses. It then sets out its objectives 48) Contribution by Rudi Kennes, Vice-chairman of the GM European Employee Forum, 20 January 2009
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for improving the way the team operates collectively and selects one of the problems encountered by the employees for a field study. The study is carried out within the company after this first seminar. It consists of contacting a number of employees in the targeted sector and interviewing them (using a pre-defined list of questions). In the course of the second seminar, an assessment is made of the improvements made to the way the team operates and sets out new objectives if necessary. The results of the study are then presented and analysed with the assistance of the local union (outside the company). On the basis of this enquiry, they jointly define demands which will be presented to the employees prior to being submitted to the employer. An implementation plan is drawn up and put into practice in the following weeks. It includes a programme of meetings with the employees who have been interviewed, i.e. they will be presented with the results of the enquiry, then with the proposed demands and finally be informed as to the outcome after these have been submitted to the employer. In this last phase, it will also be proposed that they join the union.
Hyundai, Czech Republic Even before production started at Hyundai in the Czech Republic, a trade union organisation was already in place and membership figures increased by 400 in July and August 2008. In 2007 alone, OS KOVO recruited 11,900 new members and created more than 30 company trade union organisations. Compared to other trade union federations, this is the biggest increase in the Czech Republic is due to both internal and external OS KOVO organising activities.
Personal contacts The personal relations with individual workers that are built and maintained by the shop steward and by other local trade union representatives have an impact on potential new members and also on members who are considering leaving the trade union. Providing the required support or explanations or mediation with management can prevent a member from leaving the union and convince other workers of the benefits of belonging to a union. Trade unions officers should be responsive to the various needs and demands of the different “categories” of workers.49
Training for trade union officers Allocating a part of the trade union budget to training for officers to become qualified organisers is a way of focusing the trade union strategy on increasing membership numbers. Offering summer schools, training camps or internships to develop skills for organisational purposes as well as issues relating to workers’ rights and social justice will also increase the knowledge of the officers and their abilities to organise new members. 49) Comment by Kurt Vandaele, ETUI, 5 March 2009
Trade Union Conference (TUC) Organising Academy, UK The TUC Organising Academy50 was established in 1998. Since then, it has trained over 250 new union organisers who have organised thousands of new union members, identified hundreds of new representatives and established unions for the first time in hundreds of workplaces. The Organising Academy Training Programme, which is now supported by Newcastle College, is aimed at supporting the work of unions in the UK who are organising for growth. The courses provide organisingrelated training for new and experienced organisers, union officers involved in wider union activity and lay representatives and officials. All courses are accredited by the Open College Network and are delivered free of charge.
Visibility Visibility, in the form of marketing material at the workplace, in newspapers and magazines aimed at workers, as well as in the form of actual trade union presence in the work place, along with campaigning efforts in general, are mentioned as important factors when organising workers. Other activities to increase the visibility mentioned in the survey are seminars about trade union work and the way they function, the distribution of trade union posters in the plant as well as offering services to potential members on the spot. One should keep in mind that what is even better than written material is one-to-one communication. If the union is to rely on written communication, then it is generally material that the workers produce themselves, with their faces, their stories and by-lines, that are far more likely to be read. The more remote from the day to day experience, the less likely the material will be read.51 Websites are also useful tools in increasing visibility and providing services to the members (for more information see page 40).
Sweets as an organising tool Professor Jeremy Waddington tells the story of a union activist who managed to raise density at his workplace substantially, ‘sitting on his chair’. He had put a jar on his desk filled with sweets wrapped in paper carrying his union logo. As a result, he was constantly talking about the union with his co-workers. The story illustrates a central message: if unions want to grow, they need to be accessible and visibly at the workplace.52
50) TUC website: http://www.tuc.org.uk/organisation/index.cfm?mins=586&minors=584 51) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 52) Interview with Jeremy Waddington, 4 March 2009
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Youth Research has shown that the reasons for young people joining a trade union are not different politically than the reasons for adults. Normally trade unions have to focus on two special issues when it comes to reaching young workers: the appeal of the union and the handling of the young workers.53 Appeal and image go hand in hand in this case. In this study the issue of the trade union approach to young people was raised as well as the fact that they may seem old-fashioned or out of date to younger people. Organising efforts targeting young people are mentioned by many affiliated organisations. Trade unions are expanding youth networks and adding more activities that may attract young members including everything from discos to workshops. Dissemination of best practice examples of youth activities to young workers are also seen as important.
Vasas, Hungary Vasas’ Youth Committee provides training and summer camps, where besides obtaining knowledge on the world of work, there is always a great emphasis on organising. According to Vasas, successful organising is based on three principles: 1. Real results experienced by employees 2. Reliable trade union officers who enjoy the employees’ trust 3. Efficient marketing on the part of the trade union. Furthermore, Vasas has separate committees and secretaries for representation of women, the young and the retired. Trade union officers are clearly present at all events organised by the trade union. The representation of young workers is also provided for in the union’s decision-making bodies. Cross-country tour on an information bus to recruit young members The info-bus first set out on its way to recruit new members for Vasas in 2005.54 The special bus, with its own audio and video equipment and many other facilities, is able to attract people’s attention even in the middle of nowhere. The bus visited six different places in September and October 2005. First it visited three companies where there were Vasas members but no local union branch. Then it visited two organisations with active union membership, and finally the regional finals of the trade union’s Students Sport Club in Budapest.
53) Interview with Jeremy Waddington, 4 March 2009 54) VASAS, Newsletter Hírlevél, December, 2007
With the help of local union officers Vasas distributed brochures providing information about the trade union, its services and availability and also small gifts to the audience in the course of these visits At companies with no local union branch there were some fears on the part of the employees, but the majority of the people gave the Vasas representatives a warm welcome and openly talked about their problems. The visits gave Vasas a good opportunity to build personal contacts and reach agreement with some employees on keeping in touch in the future. At Flextronics in Zalaegerszeg, where there is a local branch of Vasas, we met a lot of employees and were able to talk with them thanks to the excellent way in which the event was organised and the successful choice of place and time. We had our seats by the main entrance with a designated place for smoking. The employees were allowed to leave the production lines at different times to have a cigarette, so we could start a conversation with them in small groups. Everyone we had a word with knew the shop steward of the company, which employs 4,000 people. This, in a way, indicates the high quality of the trade union work performed. It was a real surprise that many of the agency employees took an interest in the opportunity of joining the union. The case will be settled between the shop steward and the employment agency. During the organising action, which took place from 9.00 am till 3.00 pm, several new members joined the union and there were even more who realised the importance of ‘unity, solidarity and fraternity’. The usefulness of the info-bus lies not only in the opportunity of being able to recruit members on the spot but also being able to travel anywhere and provide information about the trade union and its activities. The vehicle and its equipment is only a means – albeit a modern and good one. However, it can only become a really useful means if accompanied by relevant, well-organized union work (actions). An info-bus in itself is not enough to persuade people to join us. “It is only if you have something to sell, that you, have something to advertise.” The „stock” you sell is nothing else but, for instance, successful wage negotiations, protection of employees and the services you offer them. We have several invitations for 2008, too, asking us to attend certain companies. We hope to meet even more direct and indirect new members and help provide information about the work being undertaken by the trade union. Vasas underlines the importance of a credible local shop steward. The authors of the case study draw precisely the right conclusions: the bus signed up very few members, but used in connection with a collective campaign it can have a real impact.55
55) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009
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GMTN, Austria organising strategies GMTN needs to register approximately 1,000 new members per month to maintain positive membership figures. The union has an active strategy for recruiting members, which includes:The crucial role of shop stewards (70% of all new members are recruited directly at the workplace) An Information-bus (10% of all new members) Support by local union officers, who provide a monthly report on membership development and set targets for increasing membership Special campaigns, such as the Health Campaign for the implementation of the improvement of working conditions and health prevention in companies in cooperation with shop stewards and employers.
The Info bus – our “Rolling Service” The GMTN info-bus covers 35,000 km, touring for 45 weeks per year. It supports events, demonstrations, information campaigns, organising activities in companies and vocational schools all over Austria. The 200 actions per year involving the Info bus accounted for 10% of all new members. The “Rolling Service” informs employees about the services of GMTN and the reasons for becoming a union member in cooperation with shop stewards, local activists and experts from various departments.
FO Métaux, France Given the continued decline in metal manufacturing jobs and the need to renew trade union field workers, FO Métaux has implemented a new strategy to develop trade union membership and its structures which has enabled it to make advances. Several courses of action were initiated thanks to federal coordination networks Professional equality in 1998, Engineers and Supervisory staff in 2000, regional structures in 1998 and a union organising campaign in 1999 - in order to give concrete shape to this global action in the field. This action brought many young people to the forefront: they set up a working party in 2004 which was then deployed in a whole range of companies. In the first instance, these forums, brought together male and female activists, officials and lay officers, experienced and new members at federal level and led to the renewal of structures in accordance with specific development aims and opportunities whilst respecting the persons, structures and representativeness of the groups concerned. The fraternal and friendly manner of conducting these forums, which was quite unlike their experience within companies, gave rise to enthusiasm and a willingness to see these actions repeated at company level. The Federation made the necessary means available for producing surveys which were disseminated thanks to various communications tools (flyers, booklets, postcards, posters, website, symposiums, e-mail, etc.) and thanks to their follow-up via sessions to raise awareness or training sessions adapted to local issues and needs.
The Youth group was soon up and running, ready to actively contribute and open to exchanges of experiences with unions from other countries, i.e. IG Metall and UNIA. Young people are at the heart of the challenge faced by the trade union movement today: helping young people, giving them the means to invent new working methods and smoothly implementing the required developments with them, are the keys to future success.
Female workers Promotion of female participation and membership in trade unions has been a challenge in many parts of Europe for a long time. There is a substantial difference in female trade union participation between the north and the south of Europe, which is explained by several factors. In Ireland, and the UK, and Northern Europe in general, women are as likely to be working as men, and they are also more likely to join a trade union. Membership figures in continental Europe are much lower, which suggests underdeveloped gender policies in these countries. Women also remain under-represented in the executive committees of the trade union confederations, apart from the French CFDT and Italian CGIL where quota representation has been applied.56
Vasas, Hungary Vasas reports that the union gives special emphasis to affairs concerning women, with regard to the field of family benefits, help in purchasing a flat, training opportunities and organising leisure activities, for example.
Migrant workers Migrant workers57 are mostly employed in the secondary labour market characterised by low-status and badly paid jobs, with poor working conditions and little job security. This tendency is not related to the education level of the migrant workers. The consequences for the migrant workers are a lack of industrial, social and political rights. Normally the trade unions are the first to respond to this situation. This is because the arrival of migrant workers is linked with job-seeking and because the laws concerning residence permits are linked with work status. At arrival trade unions can provide support with residence permits, housing and health insurance for instance. In this connection the trade unions have three roles to fulfil:58 56) Bernhard Ebbinghaus, “Trade union’s changing role: membership erosion, organisational reform, and social partnership in Europe”, 2002 57) Here the term migrant worker is defined according to the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families: “The term “migrant worker” refers to a person who is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national.” 58) Stefania Marino and Judith Roosblad, “Migration and trade unions: A Comparison between Dutch and Italian trade union actions and strategies”, ETUI, Transfer, Volume 14 number 4 2008
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1. Worker representation to improve the situation on the labour market 2. Providing access to political participation 3. Providing services connected to living conditions. Even though there is incentive for a migrant worker to join a trade union there is a lack of willingness from the trade unions towards organising migrant workers. This attitude has its basis in the fact that migrants are not normally part of the trade union’s traditional constituency, that is to say, migrant workers are perceived as a challenge to both the rights of those represented and to the union itself. The trade unions that tend to organise migrant workers to a higher degree than other unions are characterised by poor institutional embeddedness and weak influence in policy-making but these trade unions make more effort in representing under-represented workers such as migrants. These trade unions fall under the socalled ‘antagonist’ or Mediterranean system and include for instance Italy. CGIL’s approach to organising migrant workers is based on worker unionisation and worker participation in trade union action. It provides information or legal help but does not actively organise them.59 Several EMF affiliated organisations mention organising efforts aimed at migrant workers. These efforts include awareness-raising with the migrant community, publishing handbooks about trade unions, special local union communication strategies, cooperation with confederations in other countries and sharing experiences and strategies.
Unite the Union “Amicus section”, UK 60 Amicus launched an initiative to build links with the Polish community in Bradford, UK in 2006. At an information evening the union provided support to Polish workers in overcoming difficulties on arrival in the UK including, housing, health care, the financial services, employment rights and legal rights. Polish workers will also have access to learning opportunities including English language classes. Graham Goddard, Deputy General Secretary said, “We are sending a message to the Polish community and other workers who have arrived from Eastern Europe that they have rights and they are not alone. We hope that this event will be the first of many. Amicus is aware that many recent arrivals to the UK work in low-paid industries and are vulnerable to exploitation by rogue employers. A modern and progressive union can make a huge difference to the rights of migrant workers in the UK.” Amicus is taking a community approach to making Polish workers aware of some of the exploitative behaviour of certain employment agencies who target Polish workers. Its members and officials have distributed hundreds of leaflets amongst the 59) Stefania Marino and Judith Roosblad, “Migration and trade unions: A Comparison between Dutch and Italian trade union actions and strategies”, ETUI, Transfer, Volume 14 number 4 2008 60) Website of Unite the Union, “Amicus launches initiative for Polish workers”, 27 September 2006, http://www.amicustheunion.org/Default.aspx?page=4590
Polish community, and have met with community groups, church groups and employers. The union plans to hold similar evenings throughout other cities in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.
Fellesforbundet, Norway In recent years Fellesforbundet has deliberately focused on organising migrant workers. The problem when organising migrants is also that of keeping them as members because they only work in Norway for a certain period before going back to their home country. About 4,000 members of Fellesforbundet are resident in other countries, mostly coming from Poland and other Eastern Europe countries. The majority work in the construction industry and engineering industry. The organising work is managed by the local office or by the work place branch, which receive additional funds and interpretation aid for the migrant workers from the national headquarters. Fellesforbundet has also worked well with the local supervisor for the detection of cases of social dumping and has many members in companies that have been detected by such measures. It has worked with the police, employers, Labour Inspection and Revenue Office, for many years to tackle a lot of these disreputable firms via the project “Seriousness of the construction industry”. The national office has developed special web pages on their website with information in eight different languages. The information concerns salaries and working conditions in Norway and is also available in brochure form. It also produces recruitment brochures in eight languages. Fellesforbundet is a member of the FAFO Østforum, which is a forum that includes public agencies, companies and organisations with an interest in migrant workers. It provides a good means of obtaining information related to the problems concerning migrant workers.
GMB, UK In October 2006, GMB made trade union history by setting up the first post-war migrant workers’ trade union branch in Britain.61 After several meetings with members of the Polish community, GMB began to provide support by assisting with English language classes. The major stumbling block for these workers is the language and this barrier is being deliberately encouraged by some employers who are more than happy for this situation to continue. The issues that emerged from the first meeting were wide-ranging, from not getting pay slips, to no contracts of employment, racism, maternity pay and sex trafficking. GMB could not just focus on recruiting people around workplaces, but had to learn to build trust and respect within the migrant workers’ communities on a whole series of other issues that affect them outside of the workplace. GMB also set up 61) Workers’ Liberty website, “Organising migrant workers”, 15 November 2006, http://www.workersliberty.org/node/7196
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a website for Polish workers that will enable them to share information and network with each other, as well as providing a useful organising tool. The key is for migrant workers to gain confidence, skills and knowledge and get to know the union and then to organise themselves and integrate into the mainstream of the GMB. “We seek to organise and unite all workers whether black, white, women, young, migrants or disabled and we unite them around their exploitation as workers. As internationalists we seek to campaign and organise against those employers who continually carry out exploitation against workers.”62 GMB
Schools Spreading information about trade unions inside and outside schools is mentioned by several EMF affiliates. This takes place at secondary school level, in vocational schools and at universities. Spreading information in vocational training schools or centres, placing a organising bus in front of vocational schools and directing organising campaigns towards vocational schools are all recommended and have proved successful. Active cooperation and participation in running these types of schools is another example given by IF Metall (see below). It is clear that in this way trade unions can bring influence to bear on the education system through participating in government-funded schools and make industry and education fit better together, while at the same time creating awareness among the students.
TeknikCollege - Work related advanced technical education The TeknikCollege initiative in Sweden was taken within the Swedish engineering industry by municipalities, companies and social partners, including IF Metall, in 2003. The purpose of establishing TeknikCollege was to improve the quality and efficiency of vocational training. TeknikCollege has created a new form of network for regional competence centres within industrial education. Too few young people made an active choice to follow the Technology and the Industry programmes in upper secondary school. These programmes did not give the students the right competence or sufficient skills to get a job. There was a lack of company commitment and involvement in the programmes and the municipalities preferred to offer the students less expensive programmes. The companies asked for more of both general and job related skills. Students need to become better in reading, writing and mathematics. They also need to be more motivated. A feeling of “Working life” is necessary also at school level. The positive effects of Teknikcollege are companies in the region influencing and contributing to the content of the educations and municipalities sharing costs for sometimes unusual and expensive education programmes. 63
62) Workers’ Liberty website, “Organising migrant workers”, 15 November 2006, http://www.workersliberty.org/node/7196 63) Website of TeknikCollege, http://www.teknikcollege.se
National level Nation-wide campaigns make sense when a trade union is communicating with either a group of workplaces within the same company or when the trade union is trying to reach the public. Naming the public as one target group is normally advisable when trying to make a connection between working life and society, whilst in other cases targeting more specific groups in society, such as “metalworkers/automotive workers” etc., make more sense as the scope of the target group is narrower.
Fiat campaign 2006 An example of a campaign organised at national level is the FIM-CISL (Italy) Fiat campaign in 2006. It was implemented during a specific time period in different areas across Italy where there was a FIAT plant or company belonging to FIAT. Two meaningful outcomes were noted. 1. The number of FIM-CISL shop stewards increased from 160 before the campaign to 190 after the campaign (a 19% increase). 2. The number of FIM-CISL members in the areas with a FIAT plant or company had risen by 3-5% after the campaign.
Conflict in the car manufacturing sector, IG Metall There was a positive outcome to the conflict in the car manufacturing sector in Germany (more than 10,000 members in 2007) because the employers were following an anti-collective bargaining strategy. Organising works where there exists a combination of good, efficient working structures and conflict that can be exploited. Organising strategies are generally not centralised, but are decided on and conducted at regional level. A current example of an important project is ‘Temporary Work’. In this campaign, one of the company policy and collective bargaining goals is the conclusion of Equal Pay agreements and the organising of temporary workers. We estimate that our goal of 10,000 new members, who are temporary workers, will be surpassed in 2008. Although overall membership has sunk by 0.7%, we have increasingly more members who are in employment. New recruits in the last few years have been steadily increasing (around 105,000 in 2007). We estimate that the figure for 2008 should be around 110,000, which means we should break even.
Services The union movement has long debated “servicing versus organizing”.64 According to the servicing model, union representatives appear in the workplace whenever 64) Website of New Unionism, http://www.newunionism.net
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they are called, and deal with disputes in such a way that others are convinced that they, too, should join them. They also offer cheap rates on insurance, tyres, travel and accommodation. According to the organizing model, the union itself exists primarily in the workplace. It lives and breathes at work, in the form of the members themselves, including their elected representatives. The union exists primarily to support them and to deliver the skills and tools members need. Services in general may not be the most convincing way of keeping members in the long run, but can provide that extra bit of support that an individual member is asking for at a precise time. One such service is for instance legal advice. Local shop stewards are sometimes trained in negotiating skills and providing services and advice to the members. Several trade unions report about offering a variety of benefits or services to potential and current members. Examples are career development advice, legal assistance, tax return assistance, pension advice, training courses, Christmas presents, petrol vouchers and various leisure and holiday activities.
Special services with the GMTN-card Members of GMTN have access to a large range of services such as free legal advice, price advantages for many products and cheap tickets for sports and cultural events, as well as special offers in our holiday resorts and educational workshops. These services have a very positive effect on the organising of new members for GMTN because of the increased importance attached by potential membership to the range of services provided by a union.65 “To sum up, we can say we have just as many reasons to be happy as to be sad. Since 2005 we have unionised more than 7,000 employees, which is without precedent in the Hungarian trade union movement. In spite of this, we cannot be satisfied because our total membership has decreased. The present situation can probably be best described by the words of a union steward: ‘We cannot report great results; what we have achieved is just a drop in the ocean and we have made giant efforts in vain .’ István Németh, Vice President, Vasas (Hungarian Metalworkers’ Federation)
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) strategies New trade union initiatives seek to use new technologies to recruit and communicate with new members or to contact non-unionised employees.66 The development of trade union information and communications technology (ICT) strategies has been on the agenda for some time but unions have been slow to recognise the potential of new technology in relation to recruitment and organisational activity. In face of 65) Contribution by Irene Steindl, GMTN, 10 February 2009 66) European industrial relations observatory online, “Trade unions find new ways to attract members”, 2002
declining membership rates and financial difficulties however, there is an increasing awareness of the need for unions to modernise their organisations in order to adapt and improve services to their members, as well as to recruit new members.
Digital trade union The digital trade union is meant as an alternative trade union organisation for employees in the ICT sector, and its services will be mainly accessible online. Normally the ICT sector is characterised by little trade union activity and a low union density rate. However, to be able to protect the rights and interests of the workers in this industry the digital trade union seeks to meet the demand by providing an alternative to traditional trade union ways that may seem strange or outdated to young workers in the sector. The digital trade union offers the same types of services given to the ordinary members of a trade union, although in a more individually-oriented way. Members may receive advice and guidance with regard to traditional trade union issues such as pay and working conditions, as well as more individually-oriented issues such as career development and opportunities. The membership fees remain the same as for ordinary members and include other benefits provided to ordinary members. The major difference between a traditional trade union and a digital trade union is that all communications, transactions and membership activities take place online. Via the Internet, members may obtain relevant trade union information, up-to-date news, and professional information professional as well as take part in discussion groups and a forum for the exchange of views, experience and knowledge, etc.
Online career development union An alternative to the digital trade union is the online career development union, which bridges the gap between younger generations and the more traditional elements of trade union activity. This type of forum will not be concerned with traditional trade union issues and activities as such. Instead it will provide, workand career-related, legal and financial advice on issues such as pay, employment contracts, insurance and pension schemes on a subscription basis. External experts, not trade unions, will partly provide these services. The main target group of the forum is young and more individualistic employees in the ICT sector. These are employees in knowledge-based sectors who do not have a traditional relationship with and approach to notions such as jobs, branch and trade unionism. The forum is a wholly web-based service, and a precondition for subscribing to its services is internet and e-mail access.
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The Internet ACV-CSC, Belgium ACV-CSC is offering its members a structure to create an individual company website with the same look and feel as the national website (www.acv-metaal.be). The members can create a website without prior knowledge of html, sql or php and choose their own structure (Menu - Navigation), including protected sections and databases of members, colleagues and active (militant) members. They can also create articles, image galleries, create a poll or a survey, send newsletters and so on. The websites also have the possibility to be multilingual. The websites are a powerfull instrument to inform colleagues about what is happening in their companies. Some examples: - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/gm - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/arcelor - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/brabantia - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/cnh - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/audi - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/dalkia - http://acv-metaal.ondernemingssite.be/otis
EMF GM Workers Blog The GMworkersblog.com was launched in March 2007 with the aim of telling the story from the inside of GM. The blog was an immediate success and received great attention from around the world. One of its main strengths was its accessibility for all workers at GM no matter the country or language. The blog has served at the forefront of other workers’ blogs around the world and has been referred to in the media and in university research papers. It has shown that a blog is a useful tool in the never-ending battle against management. The blog is a modern tool when dealing with the global strategies of multinational companies such as GM. Whenever there is a management initiative in one region of the world you can be sure it is based on a global model. Therefore, the blog is also a kind of warning system for unions across the globe.
Advantages with online tools The above-mentioned examples all list different features that differentiate online trade unions from traditional forms of trade unions. Some features can easily be picked up by traditional unions and incorporated in their strategies as a means of attracting new segments of users - not only IT professionals but also other groups like young people in general who are used to managing tasks in daily life online (shopping, ticket reservations, chatting with friends, etc). These features include discussion groups, basic trade union information, up-to-date news, professional
information and career advice, forums for the exchange of views, experience and knowledge and so on. Another very important feature is online networking. Online networking became common knowledge though the Barack Obama presidential election campaign in 2008, where the campaign strategy used online tools in a way the world had never seen before.67 It is best exemplified by the networking aspect, where supporters (in this case, of Barack Obama but it could well be an individual trade union) could easily spread the message of Barack Obama to friends and to other online communities in which the individual was active. It caused a completely unprecedented so-called viral (marketing) effect68. Allowing the trade union members and other supporters to contact a friend online, and in that way spread the message on behalf of the trade union, is an easy and inexpensive way of both creating awareness and attracting new members. There is a lot more that could be said about using IT to help with organising. Union membership systems (databases and contact information) are often appalling. Trade unions do not know who their members are or how to contact them, where they work or how many of them there are. Trade unions often do not use state of the art telephony to handle questions from members, which make them look inefficient and outdated. The Internet is as a whole under-utilized. Trade unions have found the Internet a marvellous resource – ostensibly to communicate with members, but in reality knowing that the first page employers look up in the middle of a campaign is our web site.69
workSMART workSMART, from the Trade Union Confederation (TUC) in the UK, aims to “help today’s working people get the best out of the world of work”.70 workSMART is a website where anyone can get help finding information about labour rights and get advice on health, career and financial issues. A tool called UnionFinder guides you to the right union via a few simple clicks of the mouse. 67) Brian Stelter, New York Times, “Obama draws on social network support”, 7 July 2008 68) The term Viral Marketing was coined by a Harvard Business School professor, Jeffrey Rayport, in the 1996 article for Fast Company “The Virus of Marketing”. Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, e-books, brandable software, images, or even text messages (SMS). The basic form of viral marketing is not infinitely sustainable. The goal of marketers interested in creating successful viral marketing programs is to identify individuals with high Social Networking Potential (SNP) and create Viral Messages that appeal to this segment of the population and have a high probability of being passed along. 69) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 70) http://www.worksmart.org.uk
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The New Unionism Network “The New Unionism network is a global initiative which was launched in February 2007. This network is unlike anything the union movement has produced before; with its deliberate emphasis on informality and total lack of structure, you could perhaps think of it as the face of unorganised labour. Our key target audience is ourselves - working people and their workplace allies and representatives.”71 The network is based on four key principles: 1. Organising; 2. Workplace democracy; 3. Creative thinking; 4. Internationalism. New Unionism is a network, not an organisation. There are no formal meetings, no policies or officials. All members of New Unionism are urged to join a union. In addition to this, New Unionism seeks to develop new forms of community and solidarity. Younionize is an international join-up service, attached to a global union database with links to as much information and as many join-up forms as possible.
UnionBook UnionBook is the social networking site for trade unionists.72 Unlike other social networks such as MySpace, FaceBook and Bebo, UnionBook is advertising-free and is specifically designed to serve the trade union movement. It can be used to meet up with friends online, post comments to discussion forums, create a blog and upload photos etc. Unions can use UnionBook as a publishing platform, with its blogs, discussion forums, groups and networks of friends.73
The Internet as a tool against organising Thanks to the Internet, management is only a mouse-click away from knowing everything there is to know about trade unions and its members and strategies. 74 Active trade union members can be traced via online communication tools back to the workplace and listed as potential “trouble-makers”. This means that human resource staff is potentially able to block the employment of trade union organisers, and what is more, their friends. Even though trade unions argue that the Internet provides new possibilities to organise, campaign and strengthen the unions, as well as doing this at low cost across borders, the Internet also offers new possibilities for union-busters and anti-union activities. Trade unions need to teach their shop stewards and members how to protect their identities, correspondence and private information in general online. When a trade union offers a service online it should also provide information about privacy and what consequences there is to posting private information online. 71) http://www.newunionism.net 72) http://www.unionbook.org 73) Contribution by Eric Lee, 17 February 2009 74) Eric Lee, “How the Internet makes union organizing harder”, 2008
Problems when organising Yellow unions Some EMF affiliated organisations report problems with yellow unions (i.e. so-called company unions), which work against organising efforts thus making it nearly impossible to approach workers and make them aware of their trade unions rights. Even though yellow unions are not a wide-spread phenomenon, they certainly affect the work of those unions that encounter them. The ILO defines a company (yellow) union as “A union limited to a single company which dominates or strongly influences it, thereby limiting its influence.”75Yellow unions were actually outlawed in the US in 1935, but they were and are still common in many other countries. Some labour organisations are accused by rival unions of behaving like yellow unions if they are seen as having too close and cordial a relationship with the employer, even though they may be recognised in their respective jurisdictions as bona fide trade unions. Yellow unions are located within and run by a company (they are generally invited by the employer to break the organised power of workers), and are not affiliated to an independent trade union76. In most companies where yellow unions exist, organized workers cannot act against them because they are afraid of losing their jobs. As the yellow union members can actually decide who keeps or loses his job, workers begin to feel that there is no trade union that can be trusted. Yellow union supporters claim they are more efficient in responding to worker grievances than independent trade unions. They say the latter do not necessarily have the company’s best interests at heart and that yellow unions are designed to resolve disputes within the framework of maximum organisational profitability.77 However, opponents say that the independent nature of trade unions and the workers’ trust in trade unions provide them with an outsider’s perspective necessary for just resolution of conflict. Furthermore, they are able to propose large-scale changes to work agreements, such as overtime rules and pay, whereas yellow unions usually address concerns on a smaller scale.78 Some opponents also claim that yellow unions are used as fraudulent institutions, purporting to represent workers while actually ignoring (or working against) the best interests of employees.
75) International Labour Organisation, “Company union”, ILO Thesaurus, 2005, http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ILO-Thesaurus/english/tr1971.htm 76) In Turkey the yellow trade unions are not independent; they are an affiliate of confederations. For example Turk Metal is a yellow trade union and an affiliate of Turk-Is Confederation. 77) Greg Patmore, “An Employer Response to Workplace Democracy: The Rockefeller Plan and the Fate of Employee Representation Plans 1915-1935”, Research Reports, 2001 78) Ibid.
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Economic crisis79 An economic crisis will undoubtedly have an impact on organising. Trade unions will be confronted first of all with a smaller recruiting base. Dismissals and plant closures will narrow the amount of possible trade union members. Trade unions will possibly also lose members in this process, although this also in part depends on the social and trade union structures in the respective countries. Trade unions that are involved in the organisation and/or payment of unemployment benefits manage to keep their members in most cases. This is more complicated in other cases. Many trade unions try to solve this specific problem by organising, supporting and helping unemployed workers and providing them with a basic trade union support structure. An economic crisis can also be a key focus point of an organising campaign. Trade unions that are seen to actively defend job protection, employment, wages and other working conditions even, and especially, under such difficult conditions, can provide a rallying point for the workers. Being active and visible are key elements for such a strategy. In the last two years VM has seen an increase in membership due to the increase of foreign metalworkers in Iceland, mainly coming from Poland and Portugal. The foreign workers are expected to leave Iceland after the economic crisis and thus diminish the number of members. However, there is still very little unemployment in the mechanical engineering and metal industry and VM believes that these workers will mostly keep their jobs. Most of the unemployed members are still paying their membership fees during their unemployment.80 In comparison to other groups, young people are particularly affected by implications to employment in economic crisis.81 Youth unemployment is twice as high as adult unemployment82 and this may be explained by the segmentation of the labour market, the demand for higher qualifications as well as a general crisis in employment. In times of recession youth unemployment rises more sharply than overall rates, and in times of growth it falls more rapidly.
79) Contribution by Bart Samyn, EMF, 10 March 2009 80) Contribution by Magnus Magnusson, VM, 17 February 2009 81) Marcus Kahmann, “Trade unions and young people: Challenges of the changing age composition of unions”, 2002 82) In EU 27
8. What measures should trade unions take to retain members in the trade union? Three basic factors are the basis of retaining members in the trade unions. According to Jeremy Waddington these are accessibility, visibility and knowing who to contact.83 Strong local representation at the workplace and visibility and for instance forming more local unions in the workplace means that the trade unions become accessible and always present to be able to provide and exchange information and communicate with individual members. Regional trade union structures have been improved in many EMF affiliated organisations and thereby the closeness to the members has increased. Some members also report an increase in trade union courses for members.
IG Metall reports it has stopped the decline in membership84 In 2008 the German metalworkers’ union recorded 119,314 new members, which is 15,240 more than the previous year, and represents a 14.6% increase. Members in companies increased by 1.6%, youth membership went up from 12,000 to 214,000 and there was a 3.3% increase among white-collar workers. “IG Metall is growing stronger in companies; we are gaining more white-collar workers and IG Metall is getting younger!”, says the President of IG Metall, Berthold Huber. The reasons behind this positive message from IG Metall are campaigns and projects such as “Equal work, equal pay”, which brought in 10,000 new members and the implementation of offensive strategies geared towards members. (See page 15) Good membership numbers also stem from the benefits that IG Metall can offer its affiliates. In the previous year 25.3 million euros were spent on members in the form of insurance for accidents occurring in free time and legal protection. 85 IG Metall has also been successful in retaining membership. If a member wants to leave the trade union it must find out why by talking to that member. Many then decide to stay on as a member, but time is of the essence. Trade union membership systems must identify resigning members or members no longer paying their fees as soon as these events occur. Within 24 hours someone must ring that member and 83) Interview with Jeremy Waddington, 4 March 2009 84) IG Metall, Metallpressedienst Nr. 3/2009, “IG Metall stoppt Mitgliederrückgang”, 16 January 2009 85) Note that the survey in general indicates that services and benefits are not useful when attracting workers to the unions. (Editor’s comments.)
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discuss the issue. If it is left for six weeks or only letters are sent, the trade unions is telling the member that it really could not care less about them resigning.86
GMTN example About 11,200 members disappear from the trade union every year as a result of dismissals, early retirement, retirement and temporary employment. An opinion research institute hired by GMTN contacts every one of those members by telephone and informs them about continuing their membership fees as well as the services and benefits of trade union membership. The first results of this action are expected by summer 2009.
Collective agreements Strengthening collective agreements at company level is one argument raised in the survey, but that alone will not lead to membership growth. In Europe unions have institutional power so that they can still negotiate quite good agreements with only 10% density. The trick has got to be that unions organise around collective bargaining negotiations and provide selective incentives for the union members. Someone has to go to workers and make the point that with 10% density we are weak, but with 50% we would be much stronger. Unions need to run a campaign that depends on members exercising collective action – anything from a petition to a strike. In that context workers get the chance to re-learn the power of the collective. In that context they will join.87
86) Contribution by Michael Crosby, 29 January 2009 87) Ibid.
9. How can trade union members become active in trade union work? Participating in trade union work, becoming active and taking ownership are important factors to continue the work of trade unions. Basically setting up structures for workers to participate in, so called self-organised groups, makes it possible for workers who share a particular issue of interest to become involved. It is important that the trade union structures facilitate such groups and that there is proportionality in the structures of the union for such groups. An example is a women’s group. The survey also suggests a few other ways for members to become more involved.
Social elections provide an opportunity to become active. Becoming a shop steward Participate in strikes or other public protests. Get involved in local or regional trade union work as representatives for youth for instance. Members’ education and training in safety, organising, negotiations, communications, international affairs and policy. Write in trade union papers and on the web. Strengthen the role and focus on giving tasks to younger enthusiastic workers. Studies show that union members who have attended a training course are more willing to become active in other areas of union work.
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10. How can trade unions cross implement successful organising campaigns? The survey suggests a number of options for EMF affiliated organisations to exchange experiences and cross-implement organising methods. But before describing some ideas on successful cross-implementation of best practices, it can be useful to point out the basic points of the survey: The survey takes into account different forms of trade union organising methods and different levels for conducting the organising campaign (national, regional and local levels). The surveys were filled out by trade union officers, all having different roles in their organisation and consequently, different points of view and a different degree of sensitivity are expressed. The trade unions involved in the survey differ in size, age, structure, activities, relationship and resources. In some cases trade unions from the same country proposed different strategies, all with good results. The validity of the campaigns proposed in the survey depends on a set of related factors such as campaign length, the number of workers involved in the campaign, the campaign budget, potential for expansion, usability and accessibility of the media and the means used in the campaign). A preliminary starting point for identifying ideas for cross-implementation of the organising campaigns presented in the survey is the definition of a set of indicators through which we can qualify a campaign as a best practice. In fact, a best practice should be: 1. A successful action 2. A model action 3. A transferable action In order to qualify a practice as a best practice in this context we should answer the following questions: What campaign produced significant changes88 in the trade union’s organisation? What campaign made a considerable contribution in terms of: 88 promotion of the trade union? 88 awareness of the important role played by trade unions? 88 increased attention to themes like bargaining, precarious work, equal rights? 88) The campaign produced results that had never been achieved before (for example: (i) achieving unexpectedly good results of organising – i.e. quantitative result; (ii) organising of a group of workers who had never been involved before, like migrant or young workers – i.e. qualitative result), thus making it necessary to change the trade union’s organization in order to manage the effects of the campaign (for example: institution of a new office or utility for new trade union members, like a communication office, counselling office, young and migrant workers office, etc.).
What campaign contributed to a measurable increase in and/or preservation of the number of members in the trade union? What campaign was distinguished by an efficient and effective management of activities? What campaign produced innovations compared to previous campaigns? What campaign took into account diversity issues such as addressing female, young, older or migrant workers? What campaign took into account the social-political-economic situation in society? Did the campaign rely on other factors such as services and benefits to unionise or retain workers in the trade union? Each campaign has its own degree of transferability and the higher the degree of transferability, the more reliable is the possibility of cross-implementation.
Further research for improving best practices implementation The catalogue of best practices represents a first attempt to build a tool to record successful campaigns, but it needs to be improved on the basis of concrete application, potential and further research. Other important aspects to investigate further are:
The situation in the trade union before the campaign Priorities of the campaignTargets and strategies89 Resources used Description of the campaign process Results Suggestions and ideas collected by the campaign Transferability Support
From catalogue to cross-implementation Transferring a campaign from one country or trade union to another can be difficult. A minimal use of the catalogue could be that trade union A collects the good ideas of the campaigns of trade unions B, C and D and tries to build a new campaign from this collection of good ideas. For example:
Slogan from trade union B’s campaign Video material from trade union C’s campaign Steps of the organising campaign from trade union D’s campaign Target group from trade union E’s campaign The used resources from trade union’s F campaign and so on.
89) Listing targets to be achieved in a decreasing order of importance (for example target 1: increase members by 10%; target 2: increasing female members by 30%; target 3: increase the number of companies involved, etc.).
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The following methods of cross-implementation were suggested by EMF affiliated organisations in the survey:
Joint campaigns between trade unions in countries with a similar organising culture. Joint campaigns between trade unions organising transnational companies. Seminars about successful campaigns. European best practice catalogue and the publication in print and online of successful examples. Channels for exchanging experience that reach beyond borders, such as the Internet. That could make it possible to find out about the best practices, and applying them to the national characteristics of a country would make organising more successful while at the same time new practices could be developed. Partnership with other trade unions in other industries, with civil society and international partners. To be able to implement ideas such as these it is necessary to allocate resources for Training and technical assistance for best practice analysis and to facilitate and support the cross-implementation process as well as provide counselling to enhance the potential of the ”best practice campaigns”. Cross-implementation should also be based on: 1. A vast campaign of dissemination and promotion of the catalogue 2. Putting into action the transfer of a new recruitment campaign from the proponent trade union to the receiving trade union 3. Developing some parts of the “best practice campaign” as an award mechanism for the proponent trade union. Activities 2 and 3 should be based on the knowledge of the organisational, procedural and human factors that can operate positively for the campaign start up. The cross implementation process should act on the following factors: 1. Human resources 2. Internal organisation 3. Relationship with external people 4. Choices of media, methods and tools 5. Mix of the activities of the campaign The proponent trade union should: analyze and describe the campaign story and its particular facts; check the pre-existent relationship between proponent trade union and receiving trade union (and the latter’s willingness to participate in all the phases of the crosstransfer); find the aspects of its own campaign that could be improved through tutoring and consulting; suggest the expected results of cross-implementation; define the minimum conditions for successfully implementing cross-implementation activities in the new context.
Matrix - minimum requirements for cross-implementation analysis Now it is possible to create a simple but useful tool, a matrix, by which we can prepare the concrete cross implementation of a successful campaign: 1. Compare the structures of the trade unions and describe the differences. 2. Produce a table with four columns. 3. First column: list the features describing a successful campaign. 4. Second column: for each feature listed in the first column, insert the corresponding score (from 1 star to 5 stars) 5. Third column: for each feature listed in the first column, insert the score (from 1 star to 5 stars) assigned by the proponent and receiving trade union representatives responsible for the cross implementation on the basis of the analysis of the new context (the receiving trade union or country). 6. At this point, the representatives will sum up the second column scores and the third column scores. Then, the degree of transferability (DOT) will be measured by the difference between the scores (second column minus third column). First column
Second column
Third column
Fourth column
Features describing a successful campaign
Score
Context of the campaign of the receiving trade union
Degree of transferability (DOT)
Target group
Slogan
Ad campaign
Time spent
Economic resources employed
Blue collar/ white collar ratio
% of migrant workers
% increase in the number of trade union members
SUM
30 [global score A]
20 [global score B]
10
In the upper table DOT = S – T = 30 - 20 = 10 10% of S = 3 (10% of 30 = 3) 20% of S = 6 30% of S = 9
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In conclusion, we can now apply the following Transferability Algorithm: If [(DOT > 0) and (DOT < = 3)] then GOOD DEGREE OF TRANSFERIBILITY If [(DOT > 3) and (DOT < = 6)] then MIDDLE DEGREE OF TRANSFERIBILITY If [(DOT > 6) and (DOT < = 9)] then LOW DEGREE OF TRANSFERIBILITY If (DOT > 9) then REENGINEERING OF SOME CAMPAIGN FEATURES IN ORDER TO ENSURE A PARTIAL CROSS IMPLEMENTATION BY THE RECEIVING TRADE UNION (for example, change some actions such as “spent time”, “economic resources employed”, % increase in the number of trade union members).
Finnish Metalworkers Union The Finnish Metalworkers Union has been involved in a project in Karelia, Russia with Karelia metal sector companies, between 2006 and 2008. Some of the companies participating in the project were subsidiaries of Finnish companies. The project was primarily a training cooperation and it had three main subjects. Working environment Organizing (to recruit and activate members in the local union) Wage policies Four seminars in these areas were held each year. Three of them were held in Karelia, and one was held in Finland (Tammerfors). In 2009 the Finnish Metalworkers Union will evaluate the result of the project. They will also continue the discussions with the Karelian metal sector companies to enable them to influence ways of cooperating in the future. The Finnish Metalworkers’ Union is also involved in a project with metal sector unions in Estonia and Hungary. This project is an education project mainly about the working environment. The project also functions as a small EWC for the shop stewards in these companies. The result of this project will be evaluated in 2009.
Unison, UK Unison (a public servant union in the UK) hosts a Migrant Workers Organising Knowledge Bank, which aims to share information and good practice on organising, including organising plans, successful bargaining and campaigning initiatives.90 “It is possible to share campaigns in countries with plants belonging to the same company in different regions and then duplicate the ACTION, the CONTENT and the STRATEGY.” FIM-CISL “Workers’ problems in Europe cannot be solved at national level alone - the European framework must be taken into account.” Antonio Camacho, FM.CC.OO
90) Unison handbook, “Organising migrant workers”, 2008
11. Questions for discussion The following questions can be used at trade union workshops and seminars in order to facilitate a discussion on organising in general and on cross-implementation of successful organising methods.
1. How can organising activities be intensified and promoted to a higher profile within your trade union? What resources are currently designated to organising? How can those resources be used best? 2. How can trade union structures be improved to enhance the level of organising? 3. What does collective solidarity mean in the twenty-first century? Does the structure and government of your trade union facilitate the new forms of collective solidarity? 4. Does the bargaining agenda of your trade union reflect the interests of potential members? How might the content of the bargaining agenda be reformed? 5. Does the structure of the trade union movement in your country ‘match’ that of the changed labour force? 6. How can trade unions better meet the needs of their members? What methods can trade unions use to provide services and answer questions and provide information? 7. How can trade unions exchange information and experiences about organising? What can be done at European level to assist in organising and retaining trade union members?
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12. References
Survey responses The following EMF affiliated organisations replied to the survey. Only replies in full are listed. Country
Trade union
Austria
GMTN
Belgium
ABVV Metal
Belgium
ACLVB/CGSLB
Belgium
ACV-CSC
Belgium
MWB-FGTB
Belgium
SETCA
Czech Republic
OS Kovo
Finland
TU
Finland
Metalli
France
CGT
France
FGMM-CFDT
France
FO Metaux
Germany
IG Metall
Hungary
Vasas
Iceland
IIF
Italy
FIM-CISL
Italy
FIOM-CGIL
Luxemburg
OGLB
Norway
Fellesforbundet
Portugal
Sima
Slovakia
OZ Kovo
Spain
FM.CC.OO
Sweden
IF Metall
Sweden
Unionen
Switzerland
Syna
Turkey
Birlesik Metal-Is
UK
Community
Contributions Michael Crosby
Researcher, comments on text, 29 January 2009
Kenneth Hedman
Trade union officer, Unionen, 26 February 2009
Jenny Holdcroft
Director of Equal Rights, EPZs, International Metalworkers’ Federation, 29 January 2009
Rudi Kennes
Vice-chairman, GM European Employee Forum, 20 January 2009
Annette Lack
Trade union officer, IF Metall, 6 May 2008
Eric Lee
Editor, Labour Start, 17 February 2009
Magnus Magnusson
Managing Director, VM, 18 February 2009
Bart Samyn
Deputy General Secretary, European Metalworkers Federation, 10 March 2009
Irene Steindl
GMTN, 10 February 2009
Kurt Vandaele
Researcher, ETUI, 5 March 2009
Jeremy Waddington
Researcher, Manchester University, 4 March 2009
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Layout: Creatin.be Photography by Andy Michaelis, EMF.
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13. notes
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