This report explores how organisational culture shapes the effectiveness of trade unions. Drawing on Unions 21’s
work across the movement, it identifies key culture types and how they influence strategy, power and member
engagement.

Here we take a look at the specific building blocks of an effective union operating model.

If we know where the jobs of the future are, we just need to go and organise there. Simple, right? The answer is a resounding no - but we have guidance on the journey that's required.

With the Irish economy tackling a period of great change, our new report outlines big challenges and opportunities for the Irish trade union movement.

The world of work is changing faster than ever. Is your union ready?

Across Europe, our movement is facing a quiet but massive challenge: the “silver tsunami”. While experience is the bedrock of our movement, what’s our plan for the future?

Wednesday 13 November 2025 saw union leaders, legal experts and policy makers come together to discuss the Employment Rights Bill and what it could mean for collective voice.

In our recent polling work on what connects with non-unionised workers, we asked people to choose the most convincing argument. Two messages pulled ahead of the pack.

The world of work is changing faster than ever. For union leaders, staff and activists, the key question is: how do we adapt not just to survive, but to thrive?

Can a union negotiate AI use with employers if it has no policy for how its own staff use AI?

What do workers really think of us? What would make them join?

Ahead of Unions21’s conference on Strengthening Collective Voice, Dr Duncan U Fisher and Professor Liam Foster from the University of Sheffield share some recommendations for organising adult social care workers.

Robert Murtagh, Director (Ireland) at Unions21, reflects on his experiences of the Unions21 Future Leaders programme

We are increasingly in a digital first world. To keep up, unions will need to adapt, including hiring new roles as presented in our report on future union jobs. One of these is a digital organiser, a role which is already making waves within unions.

In the second of a two-part blog series, Maeve Richardson, digital organiser at FSU, says it's not enough for unions to simply recruit new members - the real challenge lies in creating deep engagement

We are increasingly in a digital first world. To keep up, unions will need to adapt, including hiring new roles as presented in our report on future union jobs. One of these is a digital organiser, a role which is already making waves within unions.

In this second of a three-part blog series, Paddy Cole, digital organiser at SIPTU, spoke to Unions21 about the importance of data to trade unions

If your resources are stretched then the benefits of going digital are even greater, Paddy Cole, digital organiser at SIPTU, tells Unions21 in the final part of his three-blog series

An overview of learnings and takeaways from the Unions21 Building Capacity training programme

An overview of learnings from the Unions21 Future Leaders programme

What unions need to consider for jobs for today and the future

The impact of AI on workers and society has the potential to be transformative, but how do unions play their part? A recent conference in Brussels explored the union experience of AI and the training on offer

Martin Smith, Senior Associate, organising and union operations at Unions21, says the new Employment Rights Bill is an opportunity to get government policy back in step with the needs of workers

In the first of this two-part blog series on governance and trade union renewal, Adam Ives, governance and executive officer at the NAHT – The School Leaders’ Union, explains why the NAHT revised their rules

In the second of this two-part blog series on governance and trade union renewal, Adam Ives, governance and executive officer at the NAHT – The School Leaders’ Union, discusses their approach to the rules revision process

A report from recent two-day conference, The Strike: Building Workers’ Power Today, which took place at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Labor Centre

Up skilling for 2025

Are unions able to hold industrial action effectively?