Currently, we have no fewer than 59 duly registered trade unions and associations. The world of work is undergoing a period of transformation, and trade unions are responding to workers' needs and aspirations with innovation and foresight. Trade unions and associations can become agents of change and support workers through this process of transformation.
It's good to outline the challenges trade unions are facing and will be facing in the coming years while stressing, in particular, the importance of social dialogue in formulating responses to new challenges in the world of work.
Just as the future of work is uncertain, so is the future of trade unions. Globalisation and demographic, environmental and technological changes are changing the labour markets of today and will determine those of tomorrow. In addition, the COVID-19 crisis has exposed and aggravated existing challenges. Globally, trade union membership has been going down over time, and, with that, trade unions' ability to organise and service workers.
Among all the possible scenarios for trade unions, the most favourable scenario is their revitalisation, wherein trade unions find innovative tactics and form coalitions to represent all workers.
Whereas the pandemic has laid bare the many dimensions of decent work deficits in the world of work, workers have also relied on trade unions to enhance job and income security, and access to social protection.
The historical role played by trade unions is undeniable, particularly in the context of collective bargaining and the resolution of collective labour disputes, together with the acquisition of numerous rights and a more appropriate adjustment of government rules to the technical, cultural and social specificities of each economic activity or locality.
Major union achievements in the past were largely due to the basic principle that "an injury to one is an injury to all". With the growing individualism present in society, this principle risks losing its strength and meaning. Could this be why certain trade unions and local political parties have toyed with the idea of somehow legislating for mandatory trade union membership despite its being in flagrant breach of a fundamental human right enshrined in our constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, apart from the possibility that trade union membership is in decline?
Organised labour needs to rekindle the spirit of the activist, member-powered movement that has guided its past successes. Organised labour today is a progressive interest group, no longer a workers' movement.
Today, trade unions face a situation marked by the universal trend towards greater liberalisation of economic and political regimes. The changing environment requires new approaches and strategies on the part of unions if they are to remain major social actors contributing to dynamic and equitable growth.
This presents formidable challenges to unions but also provides them with opportunities to play a far more effective and politically important role in society.
Trade unions must be part of the solution to reducing economic inequality. But do unions reduce the wage gap? Or do they raise costs for businesses? And why have unions succeeded in organising the public sector but struggled to gain traction in the private sector? What is the role of unions in a 21st-century economy? And will workers embrace them?
Trade unions are grappling with a labour market transformation that is taking many different forms. Technological progress, app-based gig work and online retail, the greening of the economy, demographic change and ever-intensifying global competition are profoundly changing the landscape in which trade unions are looking to represent workers' interests.
Since the turn of the millennium, trade unions have undergone significant restructuring and reorganisation to represent and serve an increasingly diverse membership. Of particular significance is trade unions' increased emphasis on reaching out to the most vulnerable and lowest-paid workers. This includes informal workers, migrant workers and domestic workers, all of whom are governed by a variety of working arrangements, including fixed-term and temporary contracts. More recently, trade unions have been looking to represent digital platform workers.
It is important to remember that unionising young people is the key to any long-term strategy. Workers' ability to defend their rights and ensure decent working conditions depends on their capacity to act collectively at the national, regional and global levels.
Solid governance structures are also essential for trade unions, not only for their effective operation but also to maintain their integrity and credibility with workers and the public at large. Trade unions and associations must place good governance at the top of their agendas to ensure that trade unions and union leaders act effectively and prioritise integrity, transparency and accountability.
Trade unions need to incorporate issues that matter to the workers of today and tomorrow into social dialogue and their broader agendas. There should also be a key cross-cutting element that runs through any trade union strategy: the ability to think critically and strategically, to anticipate change and to try new things.
The role of trade unions has changed significantly over the past 30 years. Global competition, a growing trend in outsourcing, legal constraints and employer-sponsored forms of employee participation have combined to precipitate a significant fall in union membership and the coverage of collective bargaining.
The coming decade promises to be equally challenging for trade unions. How they respond to the challenges and opportunities over the next few years will be crucial in determining their level of influence at work and beyond in the future.
Dr Mark Said is a lawyer