Trade Union Recruitment Strategies: A National & Local Level Assessment

The issue of union recruitment strategies remains complex and contentious in the present harsh politico‐economic climate. Any assessment of recruitment potential is linked to some view of the condition of the trade union movement and the attractiveness of its policies and methods to those outside its ranks whom it seeks to recruit. Within this context, arguments have raged over three core themes: the extent to which unions should be biased towards offering services to members, or act as ‘militant’ wage bargainers; the relative efficacy of competitive campaigning for membership compared to a more centralised and regulated system; and the degree to which the broader politico‐economic environment influences the ability of unions to increase aggregate membership through interventionist policies.