34% of employees in a Union

gurramok

So says CSO http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0325/tradeunions.html

81% of public administration & defence are in a union. 1,887,700 in employment. 34% of these in a union- 641,000(approx)

Assumption:
300,000(approx) in public service so 243,000 here in a union. Assuming all temps gone.
So union membership outside the public service is about 400,000 which is about 21% membership of total employed.

So to sum up. Public sector union membership - 81% , private sector - 21%.

That right? If so, serious imbalance there.

gandalf

I'd be curious to see what percentage of the 21% are from former State or Semi-State companies as well.

bladespin

Sounds about right TBH, private sector for the past 15 years, worked in 5 companies in that time, none had a union.

mickoneill30

bladespin wrote: »

Sounds about right TBH, private sector for the past 15 years, worked in 5 companies in that time, none had a union.

Similar here. I've worked in private companies for about 20 years. Never had a union (never needed one). The company I'm in now have a certain segment of workers in a union. Coincidentally they're the ones that don't seem happy.

gurramok

Good point deadtiger. I'd say its high as they do have influence on matters. For starters, how many employees are semi-state?

Anyone willing to do out figures?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1215/1224260714128.html
An Post - about 10,000
ESB - 7,800
Bord Gais - 900
CIE - ??

gandalf

So in reality gurramok the figure for proper private sector workers is even lower.

gurramok

Got it. http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/george-garvey-we-cant-allow-semistate-sector-to-escape-pay-cuts-1975006.html

42,000 in semi-states it says there. That makes 360,000 or 19% of those in total employment are in the proper private sector.

Manach

It might be a bit simplistic for me to say, but unions can punch-over their weight in negotiations because they seem to be well organised, compared to non-unionised employees. Thus it is their cohesion, esp. in PS, that gives them the leverage.

seamus

Manach wrote: »

It might be a bit simplistic for me to say, but unions can punch-over their weight in negotiations because they seem to be well organised, compared to non-unionised employees. Thus it is their cohesion, esp. in PS, that gives them the leverage.

Outside of the public sector, you usually find unions either exist in a workplace, or they don't. It's quite rare for 10 or 15 people in a company of 500 to be a member of a union. Unions are often listened to because they have this foothold in the company, but they also have the experience and knowledge of the law that your average employee doesn't.

Many companies won't deal with a union if it only has a small number of their employees on its books because it has no power to do anything.

Gus99

The 34% was an increase from 32% according to the report. Obviously because all the job losses were in the Private Sector, so the unionised PS/CS therefore represented a higher percentage of the total number of employees

dean21

Well at least the employers and unions in the private sector have agreed on how to go forward with pay rates
Lets hope the same can be done in the public sector