Table 20.25 shows the general trend of declining membership of trade unions across all industries combined. Over the years shown the proportion of trade union membership in the construction industry has been generally similar to that for all industries. In the two years to August 2000 there was a rise in the number of trade union members in the construction industry, from 100,600 to 116,200. As a consequence the proportion of trade union members in construction (26.4%) in 2000 was marginally higher than in all industries (24.7%)
In the construction industry, a higher proportion of full-time employees (29%) than part-time employees (11%) were trade union members (table 20.26). Across all industries a much higher proportion of female employees were trade union members (23%) than in the construction industry (4%).
20.25 EMPLOYEES WHO WERE TRADE UNION MEMBERS, Construction Industry - 1992 to 2000(a) |
|
| Construction | All industries |
|
NUMBER OF MEMBERS (’000) |
|
1992 | 124.5 | 2,508.8 |
1993 | 110.1 | 2,376.9 |
1994 | 113.4 | 2,283.4 |
1995 | 105.1 | 2,251.8 |
1996 | 109.6 | 2,194.3 |
1997 | 115.0 | 2,110.4 |
1998 | 100.6 | 2,037.5 |
1999 | 110.6 | 1,878.2 |
2000 | 116.2 | 1,901.8 |
|
PROPORTION OF EMPLOYEES IN TRADE UNIONS (%) |
|
1992 | 42.1 | 39.6 |
1993 | 35.3 | 37.6 |
1994 | 34.1 | 35.0 |
1995 | 30.6 | 32.7 |
1996 | 29.7 | 31.1 |
1997 | 33.5 | 30.3 |
1998 | 25.2 | 28.1 |
1999 | 25.7 | 25.7 |
2000 | 26.4 | 24.7 |
|
(a) At August. |
Source: Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Members, Australia (6310.0). |
20.26 PROPORTION OF TRADE UNION MEMBERS, By Sex - August 2000 |
|
| Construction
% | All industries
% |
|
MALES |
|
Full-time | 30.4 | 28.5 |
Part-time | 18.3 | 13.8 |
Total | 29.5 | 26.3 |
|
FEMALES |
|
Full-time | *4.7 | 26.6 |
Part-time | *2.6 | 18.3 |
Total | *3.7 | 22.8 |
|
PERSONS |
|
Full-time | 28.1 | 27.9 |
Part-time | 6.4 | 17.1 |
Total | 25.7 | 24.7 |
|
Source: Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Members, Australia (6310.0). |