Union Renewal and Young People: Some Positive Indications from British Supermarkets

Abstract

The focus of this chapter concerns union renewal and young people. If unions are to be revitalised, one of the key groups of potential members that need to be encouraged to join, and more crucially to become active participants in union matters at their places of work, are young people (those workers aged between 16 and 24). The findings from the research for this chapter indicate that, despite gloomy predictions for the future of union membership in general and amongst young people in particular, young people will still join unions where the union culture is well embedded at the workplace and where shop stewards provide a strong influence in encouraging membership, union education and active participation. This is more likely to occur where an organising agenda for union revitalisation is being followed as compared with a partnership strategy.