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Decline Of Trade Unions In Australia Essay

553 Words3 Pages

Without contest researchers agree that over the past three and a half decades the trade union coverage has been in decline (Bray, Cooper, MacNeil, & Waring 2014; de Cieri & Deery 1991; Cooper & Patmore 2002; Griffin & Svensen 1996; Muir 2010; Peetz 1998; Peetz & Bailey 2012; de Turberville 2007; Waddoups 2005). These trade unions are created to form strong collective representation of employees within the industry and/or against employers. As workers recognise their inferior bargaining power as individuals, they elect to join a trade union to approach employers from a position of strength or equality in order to achieve better working conditions and/or resolve disputes and disagreements. However, if unions have difficulty in their ability to represent their members and …show more content…

As Waddoups (2005) states that with the “declining rates of union membership, [unions] find it increasingly difficult to organise, bargain effectively, and represent their constituents’ interests in the political sphere” (p.607). This essay aims to identify the factors which explain the decline in union coverage in Australia, and whether unions may eventually disappear. In order to achieve this, this essay will demonstrate the primary suggested factors which are responsible of the union coverage decline, illuminating the most prominent factor(s), and finally, based on this judgement will clarify whether trade unions are set to disappear within Australia.

There are several factors which researchers claim contributed to the decline of trade unions in Australia, the primary of which includes: the attitude and perception towards unions; occupational and industry shifts; role and practices of institutions and organisations; government legislation; union structures and organisation (Bray et al. 2014; de Cieri & Deery 1991; Cooper & Patmore 2002; Griffin & Svensen 1996; Peetz

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