Membership figures edge up

Membership of TUC-affiliated unions inched up for the second year running in 2005, thanks to strong performances from some large unions.

Total membership at 1 January 2006 stood at 6,463,159, an increase of 10,892 (0.2%) on the previous year's total. The increase between 2003 and 2004 had been 0.4%.

Among the largest 13 unions - those with more than 100,000 members - 10 increased membership over the past year in net terms. The largest percentage increase was recorded by construction union UCATT, whose membership soared by nearly 8,000, or 6.9%.

The GMB general union also contributed to the total increase, turning a 4.7% decline over the previous period into a 0.6% rise. The CWU communication workers' union also transformed a fall into a gain, putting on a net 2,600 members (1.1%) in 2005.

However, some of the big percentage increases achieved in 2004 were not repeated: the PCS civil service union had a more modest 0.5% increase this year, compared to a rise of 5.5% in 2004.

Two large unions saw their membership fall: the T&G general union, which has been losing members for some time and is currently seeking merger with Amicus, and technical union Prospect, with its second successive year of decline.

Union membership

UNISON 1,317,000 +0.5%

Amicus 1,200,000 0%

T&G 777,325 -3.7%

GMB 575,105 +0.6%

USDAW 340,653 +0.1%

PCS 312,725 +0.5%

NUT 254,862 +3.5%

NASUWT 248,479 +5.3%

CWU 244,461 +1.1%

UCATT 121,109 +6.9%

UCU 116,310 +0.7%

ATL 113,408 +1.4%

Prospect 102,161 -2.5%

TUC total 6,463,159 +0.2%

The table lists the current TUC unions with over 100,000 members.