The Challenge Facing British Unions

Abstract

In the last two decades, British unions have developed in sharply contrasting directions. The forties were years of growth in membership, in power, and in prestige. In the fifties, each one of these developments was halted or re versed. Today, the unions face three major problems: the problem of membership growth, the problem of membership communication and control, and the problem of their relations with the government and the community. The 1962 Trades Union Congress showed some signs that the movement might be making a concerted attempt to tackle these problems, but it is still too early to tell. Essentially, the will to tackle their own difficulties must come from each individual union involved.