Does the trade union movement have any relevance in today's modern Britain?

Question

Any opinions would be great! Thanks

Answer 1

Interesting question. Speaking as one who used to work for a UK trade union, I'd say the relevance of the movement needs to be separated from the relevance of individual unions. Depending on their strength and skill, individual unions can be a great shield against unscrupulous employers, and can fight on behalf of the worker when other forms of redress - or even insurance - are unavailable to them, so I don't think we can do without them.

But the movement as a whole is a different matter. The trade union movement of course used to be a great political power in itself, and the backbone of the Labour Party's authority. It was a conglomeration of economic powerhouses that could make or break a government's agenda. In the wake of the Thatcher years though, the movement was broken, its power to work as one enormous unit shattered seemingly forever. New Labour came in on the basis that there'd be no return to the days of "Beer and sandwiches at Number 10", and to the dismay of socialists everywhere, they turned out not to be joking about that. So our political landscape is now dominated by two main parties, to whom it would be the death of their power-base to embrace the trade union movement too firmly. The power of mass strikes doesn't exist anymore, and during the Blair government, we've seen the army mobilised when for example the firefighters went on strike to bargain for better conditions.

So ultimately, no I don't think the movement has any political relevance. The slightly depressing thing for those of us who were born and raised as socialists in the Welsh mining towns that crumbled under Thatcher, is that no such castration has been dished out to organisations like the CBI, who continue to have the ear of the UK government, meaning that if you speak for business, you're powerful, but if you speak for people, you're weak.

It's probably sentimental to be worried about this, but I can't help it.

Answer 2

my first job ws in a 'closed shop'. I had no choice but to join the union. I thinbk they made big mistakes and did not help the 'workers on the floor'.
Since then i have never been in a union and prefer it that way.
a closed shop is an abomination in a democracy
They are an anachronism, a throwback to harsher times when people had little control over their working life.
they have little, if any, relevance today

Answer 3

no