By Niamh Sweeney, Head of Union Support, Unions 21 | 5 min
In our recent Changing World of Work report, we highlighted the megatrends that are reshaping our economy and labour market. From AI to the green transition, the message from the data is clear: the labour market is changing, some sectors are in decline, new sectors are growing and job roles are shifting.
It all sounds so simple. If we know where the jobs of the future are, we just need to go and organise there. Right?
The answer, as any union leader or organiser knows, is a resounding no.
Identifying an opportunity is one thing; fundamentally refocusing and retooling a union to seize it is another.
It’s a complex, challenging and reflective process. Moving a union’s focus away from traditional job roles into new roles or greenfield labour markets isn’t like flipping a switch, it's more like turning a ship.
Yet, the future relevance and power of our movement depends on it, as identified in the report. Without this shift, new sectors and jobs will emerge without collective bargaining coverage or union presence - and our movement will become increasingly irrelevant.
Successfully navigating this critical shift for the future of our movement requires unions to undertake a deep, honest and methodical review of every facet of their organisation, a truth we've learned through our experience in supporting them on this journey.
It’s a process that moves from the external influence to the internal capacity of the union, and finally to a solid vision for the future.
Here’s a glimpse of what that journey could look like.
Step 1: Understanding the environment
Before you can move, you have to know where you're going. It’s important therefore to gather intelligence on what that new environment looks like. It’s not just reading a map, it’s thinking of a whole host of external factors that will affect your journey - weather, time of year etc.
For a union this means:
Information gathering: specifically on labour markets, trends and wider legislation. It’s important that we look at spotting the gaps in knowledge and experience.
Employer analysis: who are the key employers? Who holds the power and influence? We help identify potential targets and begin the outreach needed to understand the landscape.
Knowing the new members: through external market research and internal surveys, we help unions get inside the heads of the workers they want to reach. What are their real needs and wants? What do they already know or think about unions? What would make a union relevant to them?
Step 2: Is the union “match-fit”?
This is often the hardest part: the union has to hold a mirror up to itself and make an honest assessment of its current state.
Capacity: we facilitate honest conversations with the staffing team. What are the current challenges? Where are the skills gaps? Does the team have the capacity to take on a major new organising challenge? Is the staffing structure based on current needs or legacy? What could the future look like?
Your tech stack: how does the union use data? Is the technology fit for purpose to engage a new type of member in a new way? What data do you retain and what data should you retain?
Comms: we review the entire member journey, from joining and onboarding to ongoing communications, engagement and activist development. Does the union's message resonate with the workers it's trying to attract?
Bringing everyone on the journey
Strategy cannot be dictated from the top down. The most difficult and important work is briefing and engagement with the executive and wider democratic structures.
With our experiences of working in unions, we know that it is vital to engage with executives throughout this whole process. As the guardians of the union, they are the ones who will be making the ultimate decisions and so we help to facilitate that discussion as well as presenting the unvarnished truth.
Unions 21 delivers findings based on robust research, sound evidence and best practice.
Building the future
Only after all this foundational work is done can you begin the future planning and strategy creation.
Vision and scenarios: we work with the leadership and council to create a clear vision for the union’s role in the industry and map out possible future scenarios.
The final strategy: this final stage involves creating a concrete plan, outlining the new structure, the necessary resources and the infrastructure needed to make the vision a reality.
So, is it easy to move with new labour markets? Definitely not. It’s one of the most demanding things a union can do. But by taking a structured, honest and collaborative approach, it is possible.
It’s a journey from insight to action, and it’s the vital work we must all undertake to ensure our movement is ready for the future.
On Friday 16th January, you can join Unions 21’s Becky Wright and NERI economist Paul Goldrick-Kelly for a free webinar on our Changing World of Work report.
Register for Changing World of Work - How will it affect unions? here
