By Becky Wright, Executive Director, Unions 21 | 2 min
For decades, the story of the union movement has been one of managing decline in our traditional heartlands. But what if the story is starting to change? What if there are new, emerging areas of growth just waiting for us?
Our new research on the future of the labour market points out that while some established sectors face challenges, others are showing significant potential for job growth. The question for us is: are we positioned to organise these workers?
The analysis identifies a few key areas of opportunity:
The “Untapped Sectors”: Industries like construction, accommodation and food services show strong growth prospects and, crucially, face fewer risks from the "megatrends" of AI and decarbonisation. Yet, these sectors have notoriously low unionisation rates. What would it take to make a real breakthrough here? What new organising models could connect with a workforce that is often transient and fragmented?
The “New Collar Jobs”: Sectors like professional, scientific and technical services, and information and communication are booming. These are the growth engines of the modern economy. While they face challenges from automation, they are also creating thousands of new, skilled jobs. How do we speak to a lab technician or a project manager in a language that resonates with their professional lives? How do we show them that collectivism is just as relevant in a co-working space as it was on the factory floor?
Reaching these new areas will require us to be creative, agile and relentless. It will demand new approaches, new conversations and a willingness to experiment. It's a challenge not for one union, but for our entire movement.
What opportunities are you seeing in your region? What are the biggest barriers to organising in these growth sectors?
