The general trend of declining membership of trade unions across both the construction and all industries, is highlighted in graph 20.32. Over the years the proportion of trade union membership in the construction industry has been generally similar to that for all industries.
In the year to August 2001, there was a drop in the number of trade union members in the construction industry, from 116,200 to 106,800. This resulted in the proportion of trade union members in construction (24.5%) being about the same as that across all industries.
In the construction industry, a higher proportion of full-time male employees (29%) than part-time male employees (11%) were trade union members (table 20.33). Across all industries a much higher proportion of female employees were trade union members (26%) than in the construction industry (4%).
20.33 TRADE UNION MEMBERS - August 2001
|
 | | Construction | All industries |
| |
|
|
| | '000 | %(a) | '000 | %(a) |
|
| Males | | | | |
| Full-time | 102.4 | 29.0 | 989.8 | 28.2 |
| Part-time | *3.3 | *10.7 | 99.0 | 14.8 |
| Total | 105.7 | 27.6 | 1,088.8 | 26.0 |
| Females | | | | |
| Full-time | *1.1 | *4.1 | 505.8 | 26.1 |
| Part-time | - | - | 308.1 | 18.7 |
| Total | *1.1 | *2.1 | 813.9 | 22.7 |
| Persons | | | | |
| Full-time | 103.5 | 27.3 | 1,495.6 | 27.4 |
| Part-time | *3.3 | *5.8 | 407.1 | 17.6 |
| Total | 106.8 | 24.5 | 1,902.7 | 24.5 |
|
| (a) Includes 161,400 persons who did not know their trade union membership status (approximately 12,300 persons employed in the construction industry). |
Source: Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Members, Australia, August 2001 (6310.0). |
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