Trade unions
The nutshell
A trade union is a group of workers who join together to speak up at work. As one group, a union can ask an employer for better pay, safer conditions and fairer treatment than one worker could win alone.
Every fact on this page comes from official government guidance and Parliament's own research. Each source tag — like GOV — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What a trade union is
A trade union is an organisation of workers. Its members usually do the same kind of job, or work in the same place. One of its main jobs is to bargain with an employer over pay and conditions. Bargaining as one group, instead of one worker at a time, is called collective bargaining.GOV Members pay a fee, called a membership sub, to fund the work of the union.
Joining a union, and the law
Joining a union is a choice, and a worker can join, stay out, or leave. By law, an employer must not treat a worker unfavourably for being a union member, such as refusing training or promotion. A worker treated unfairly for union membership may be able to go to an employment tribunal, a special court for problems at work.GOV
Going on strike
Sometimes a union and an employer cannot agree. A union may then call for industrial action, such as a strike, where workers stop work for a time. A union can only call a strike if a majority of the members involved vote yes in a properly run postal ballot. Striking in support of workers at a different employer, called secondary action, is against the law.GOV
How many people are in a union
Union membership has fallen over time. In 2024, about 6.4 million UK employees were union members. That was 22.0% of all employees, or roughly one in five, down from 32.4% in 1995.DBT Membership is more common in the public sector, such as schools and hospitals, than in private firms.
- A union lets a whole group of workers bargain with an employer over pay and conditions at once, according to GOV.UK
- By law, an employer must not treat a worker unfavourably for joining a union or taking part in it, according to GOV.UK
- A union can give a member advice and support if a problem comes up at work, according to GOV.UK
- A strike can stop or slow services that many people rely on, such as trains, post or schools
- Fewer than one in four UK employees was a union member in 2024, so most workplaces have no union, according to the Department for Business and Trade
- A union can ask and negotiate, but it cannot force an employer to agree
The deep end6 min
The law behind trade unions
The rules for trade unions and strikes are set by law. The House of Commons Library, Parliament's own impartial research team, sets out how union membership has changed and the rules unions must follow to organise industrial action.HoC A key rule is that a union cannot simply call a strike. It must first hold a properly run postal ballot, and a majority of the members involved must vote in favour, according to GOV.UK.GOV
Bargaining, and its limits
The core job of a union is collective bargaining, where a union speaks for a group of workers in talks with an employer over pay and conditions.GOV A union can ask and negotiate, but it cannot force an employer to agree. An employer must not treat a worker unfavourably for being in a union, and a worker treated unfairly for union membership may be able to take the case to an employment tribunal.
A long fall in membership
Union membership is far lower than it once was. In 1995, 32.4% of UK employees were union members. By 2024 that had fallen to 22.0%, or about 6.4 million people, according to the Department for Business and Trade.DBT Membership is more common among public sector workers, such as teachers and nurses, than among workers in private firms.
Why trade unions are debated
Supporters of trade unions say a union gives workers a stronger, shared voice, and point to the legal protection a union member has at work. People who are critical point to strikes that can stop or slow services many rely on, such as trains, post or schools. The strongest arguments on each side, and the rules that try to balance the two, are set out in the House of Commons Library briefing.HoC