Strike action in 2002 has been at a higher level (measured by striker-days) than any year since 1990, and over double the level of any of those years except 1996.
The latest official statistics showed a total of 935,000 striker-days in January-October 2002, compared to 525,000 in the whole of 2001 and fewer than 300,000 in most years since 1994. The FBU, London weighting and other strikes in the last months of 2002 will have brought the total of striker-days for the whole year above the 1,303,000 notched up in 1996.
The FBU dispute, whatever happens next, has already been qualitatively as well as quantitatively different from every national dispute since the miners' defeat in 1985, going beyond a string of one-day strikes and eliciting significant solidarity action.
Falling trade-union membership figures bottomed out in 1997. The latest figures (autumn 2001) show 7.6 million UK workers in trade unions - 178,000 higher than in 1997, or 29% of all employees.
None of these developments should be exaggerated. The level of strike action and trade union membership is still low compared to the late 1980s, let alone earlier. Trade union membership was actually lower in 2002 than in 2001. It is only 19% in the private sector and very low among younger workers. Nonetheless, things are moving.
Age and race in union membership
To sound a less optimistic note, it has also been reported recently that the average age of a trade union member is now 47. Apparently, ethnic minority membership is also decreasing, and for the first time, black workers are less likely to be union members that white workers.
I think these two issues are linked. It is not that black people are leaving unions, but that older black workers (eg. post-war immigrants) - who were well-unionised - are retiring, whereas younger black people are more likely to work in industries and companies which are very poorly unionised eg. retail, textiles, hospitality.
So, what do we do about it? One thing: I think this shows the importance of the work of No Sweat. I'd be interested in any other thoughts or ideas.
Janine