Unions poll well - survey

26 October 2004

Unions are popular with their members and their popularity is growing, according to a Monash University survey. Almost 80 per cent of union members polled agreed that their union fought hard when employee interests were threatened.

The survey, released by the university's Australian Centre for Research in Employment and Work (ACREW), revealed nearly 74 per cent of union members trusted their union, and almost 72 per cent felt loyal to their union.

This positive attitude has grown since a similar survey in 2002 by the Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training (ACIRRT), when 71 per cent of respondents said they were looked after by their union.

"The level of trust reported here is consistent with the Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey (AWIRS) conducted n 1995 in which 59 per cent of unionised workplaces agreed or strongly agreed that unions kept their word," said Professor Julian Teicher, head of Monash's Department of Management and ACREW researcher.

"We also noted a positive reinforcement of the internal democratic operation of unions," he said. "More than half of the respondents -- 51.9 per cent -- in the current survey disagreed their union was consumed by political concerns that were not shared by the rank and file.

"Unionism is a live issue at the moment, and I think it is interesting that the survey results are at odds with some commentators who claim that union leaders are out of touch with members."

The survey results were contained in the Australian Worker Representation and Participation Survey that was presented by Professor Teicher at the official launch of ACREW on Wednesday, 27 October, at Federation Square, Melbourne.

ACREW has been established in recognition of the significance of employment and work issues; it will promote responsive and socially responsible research and educational programs.

With more than 40 academic staff, it is one of the largest Australian concentrations of researchers in the field of work and employment. ACREW's portfolio spans the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and the broad disciplines of industrial and employee relations, human resource management and organisational behaviour.

For further information call Ms Querida Seip, Business and Economics faculty, on +61 3 9903 2265 or 0438 009 621; or Ms Robyn Anns, Media Communications, on +61 3 9905 9317 or 0417 568 781.