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Trade union membership on the rise again in Yorkshire

Trade union membership in the Yorkshire region has grown for the second successive year, new government figures show.

The number of members grew by 21,000 to 596,000 last year following a rise of 16,000 the year before, according to the Office of National Statistics.

South Yorkshire has the highest proportion of trade union members, in the “35% or more” category, with West Yorkshire following with 25-30%. North and East Yorkshire has the lowest number of trade union members, with less than 25% employees part of a union.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had the highest proportion, whilst London and the South East some of the lowest.

Commenting on the latest annual trade union membership statistics, published by the Department for Business, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s good to see union membership hold steady as private sector growth makes up for the big job cuts in local government, the civil service and the NHS.

“Unions deliver better pay, longer holidays, more training , safer workplaces, family-friendly jobs and decent pensions. That is because workers are stronger when they join together.

“And it is why we need stronger unions to secure the pay rises that workers across Britain need to share in the recovery.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .