Trade union membership in the manufacturing industry has been falling reasonably steadily for some years. Despite a small increase in the number of trade union members in 2000, the proportion of employees with trade union membership has decreased from a little over 50% in the mid 1980s to a little over 30% in 2001. This represents a fall in union membership of around 230,000 manufacturing employees over that period.
From 2000 to 2001 the numbers of manufacturing employees with union membership declined by 6%. The proportion of manufacturing employees with union membership also fell, from 31.1% to 30.4% (table 19.15). The manufacturing industry continues to have a higher rate of union membership than the average for all industries. In percentage terms, union membership in all industries has followed a downward trend similar to that in manufacturing.
19.15 EMPLOYEES WITH TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP - August
|
| Manufacturing | All industries |
|
|
|
| Trade union members | Proportion of total employment | Trade union members | Proportion of total employment |
| ’000 | % | ’000 | % |
|
1992 | 450.0 | 44.5 | 2,508.8 | 39.6 |
1993 | 428.9 | 43.5 | 2,376.9 | 37.6 |
1994 | 421.6 | 40.8 | 2,283.4 | 35.0 |
1995 | 412.0 | 39.4 | 2,251.8 | 32.7 |
1996 | 410.1 | 38.7 | 2,194.3 | 31.1 |
1997 | 378.2 | 36.6 | 2,110.3 | 30.3 |
1998 | 354.4 | 34.5 | 2,037.5 | 28.1 |
1999 | 325.8 | 32.8 | 1,878.2 | 25.7 |
2000 | 330.8 | 31.1 | 1,901.8 | 24.7 |
2001 | 310.8 | 30.4 | 1,902.7 | 24.5 |
|
Source: Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia (6310.0). |
Table 19.16 shows that, while 34% of permanent manufacturing employees belonged to a trade union in 2001, only 11% of casual manufacturing employees were union members. Membership rates for permanent female employees (24%) remained significantly lower than for corresponding male employees although the membership rate for casual females increased to equal the male rate (at 11%), up from 7% in 2000.
19.16 TRADE UNION MEMBERS - August 2001
|
| Manufacturing | All industries |
Employees | % | % |
|
MALES |
|
Permanent | 36.4 | 31.1 |
Casual(a) | 10.9 | 9.6 |
All employees | 33.8 | 26.0 |
|
FEMALES |
|
Permanent | 24.1 | 28.8 |
Casual(a) | 11.0 | 9.3 |
All employees | 20.9 | 22.7 |
|
PERSONS |
|
Permanent | 33.6 | 30.1 |
Casual(a) | 11.0 | 9.4 |
All employees | 30.4 | 24.5 |
|
(a) Employees without leave entitlements. |
Source: Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, August 2001 (6310.0). |