24 min
State of the union This Working Life
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- Careers
Are Australian trade unions losing their teeth? Union membership has been in sharp decline for decades. In 1976 just over half of Australia workers were members of a union but by 2018 that figure had dropped to just over 14 per cent.
With the rapid increase in the number of people in casual and gig work, unions should be more important than ever. We investigate what has led to this dramatic drop, in particular amongst younger workers. And hear what unions need to do to modernize and adapt to remain relevant in the future.
GUESTS:
Anthony Forsyth is a professor of workplace law at RMIT, and author of “The Future of Unions and Worker Representation: The Digital Picket Line” which will be published in 2022.
Sally McManus is the Secretary of the ACTU.
PRODUCERS: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Maria Tickle
Are Australian trade unions losing their teeth? Union membership has been in sharp decline for decades. In 1976 just over half of Australia workers were members of a union but by 2018 that figure had dropped to just over 14 per cent.
With the rapid increase in the number of people in casual and gig work, unions should be more important than ever. We investigate what has led to this dramatic drop, in particular amongst younger workers. And hear what unions need to do to modernize and adapt to remain relevant in the future.
GUESTS:
Anthony Forsyth is a professor of workplace law at RMIT, and author of “The Future of Unions and Worker Representation: The Digital Picket Line” which will be published in 2022.
Sally McManus is the Secretary of the ACTU.
PRODUCERS: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Maria Tickle
24 min