Trade union membership

Is it worth it?

Trade unions have been an essential part of the UK's labour landscape for over a century, with their origins tracing back to the Industrial Revolution. A trade union is an organised group of workers who collectively use their strength to have a say in their workplace.

Employers tend to treat unions and union members with a degree of suspicion and, in many cases, they fear them, but they have certainly made a difference to the working conditions of people whether they are union members or not.

Unions can restore the equilibrium between workers and their employers. Before unions, labour exploitation was rife, so we all have a debt of gratitude to those early union pioneers who paved the way for the worker’s rights many of us enjoy today.

Some may say that now we have these employment rights, is it really necessary to join a union? Here’s my take on it:

Advantages of trade union membership