By Becky Wright, Executive Director, Unions21 | 2 min
The world of work is changing faster than ever. An ageing workforce, the transition to net zero, the rise of AI and shifts in global trade are impacting our members right now.
For union leaders, staff and activists, the key question is: how do we adapt not just to survive, but to thrive?
Understanding these shifts is the first step to building stronger, more innovative unions and our latest research with Nevin Economic Research Institute, delves into four "megatrends" that are reshaping the labour markets in the UK and Ireland, and across the EU.
These trends present both serious challenges and opportunities for unions where we can see sectors like construction and accommodation showing growth potential and lower risk profiles, but often have low union density. Meanwhile, highly-unionised sectors like public administration face significant disruption from AI and demographic pressures.
In a nutshell, these trends show us:
Demography: Across Europe, 35% of workers are now over 50. In sectors like agriculture and transport, this figure is even higher. Is your union prepared for the "great retirement", and how are we engaging the next generation of workers?
Decarbonisation: The shift to a green economy is essential, but many high-emission "brown" jobs have higher rates of unionisation. How can we ensure the green transition is a Just Transition, protecting existing members while organising the new green jobs?
Digitalisation (AI): Artificial Intelligence is being adopted rapidly, with a majority of large firms in Ireland already using AI tools. Our findings show that currently, union members are less likely to be in "high-risk" jobs. But how do we bargain around AI and ensure it complements, rather than replaces, workers?
De-globalisation: The era of rapid globalisation is slowing. With over half of Irish employment and a fifth of UK employment supported by exports, how will a re-ordering of supply chains affect members in key sectors like manufacturing and logistics?
This report will be discussed in full at our Strengthening Collective Voice conference and we want to hear about union experience of this on the ground: how is your union adapting its strategy?
Come to the conference and let’s explore these questions together. The full report will be published on our website after the event.
