Strategy needed for recruiting and organising young people

TUC general council support for a strategy to organise young workers, particularly those in casualised workplaces, was demanded by delegates at September’s TUC Congress.

The resolution, proposed by the TUC Young Workers Conference, called for a strategy to recruit young workers and to support young people working in non-unionised workplaces. It is to be developed by young members along with the TUC’s organising department.

The motion noted that young workers are “far more likely” to work in areas with a high turnover of staff, casualisation, poor employment contracts and a prevalence of small workplaces. In addition, it said that “young people often see their engagement with the workplace to be temporary” and “unions are finding it a challenge to represent young workers”.

The general council’s 2014 report noted that union density among workers aged 16 to 24 fell to 7.7% in 2013. And the number of unionised workers aged 20 to 24 fell to less than one in 10.

Delegates also called for a review of how the TUC can more effectively train and deploy its lay companions to give support in non-unionised workplaces and promote unions to young workers.

www.tuc.org.uk/about-tuc/young-workers/young-workers-month/tuc-young-workers-month-and-young-workers-conference