Being a union member has many advantages

Union members get higher wages, better sickness and pension benefits, are much more likely to be able to take advantage of flexible working and are able to take more annual leave, according to the TUC in The Union Advantage.

The TUC report cites official statistics showing that workers in a union earn 12.5% more an hour than employees in a non-unionised workplace, taking home average hourly earnings of £13.07 compared to £11.62.

The Union Advantage is part of a set of new materials produced by the TUC to help unions attract new recruits and also to demonstrate the value of unions to employers.

Alongside a new leaflet aimed at encouraging workers who have never thought about joining a union to do so, and a guide to show union reps how to research the employers they deal with, the TUC has also released a new report looking at the positive advantages unions bring to the UK economy.

By cutting down on accidents at work, unions could be saving employers as much as £371 million a year, says the TUC. And because they feel involved and listened to, unions help workforces become more productive, benefiting the UK economy to the tune of between £3.4 billion and £10.2 billion a year.

www.tuc.org.uk/organisation/tuc-17317-f0.cfm

www.tuc.org.uk/extras/unionadvantage.pdf