NEWS RELEASE
Friday 30 July 2004
"Department of Trade and Industry statistics show that Unions Work" says STUC
Commenting on Labour Force Survey statistics released by the Department of Trade and Industry today, STUC General Secretary Bill Speirs said:
"These are very interesting facts, which show that despite the pressures we operate under unions work for people.
"Not least, they work in relation to pay, where the survey has found that union members earn on average £11.06 per hour, 17.7% more than the average for non-members. Taking as a rough calculation people doing a 40 hour week, that's a difference of over £3,000 a year.
"And we know from other surveys that unions work when it comes to other things. If you're a union member you're less likely to be made compulsorily redundant and less likely to be injured at work but if you are injured, if you're a union member you're more likely to get compensation.
"This message from the DTI will be a big boost to our efforts to recruit the two-thirds of workers in Scotland who are losing out big time because they aren't in the union.
"Unions work."
ENDS
For further details, contact:
Bill Speirs, STUC General Secretary
Tel: 0141 337 8100 / Fax: 0141 337 8101 www.stuc.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- A DTI National Statistics publication "Trade Union Membership 2003" was issued on Friday 30 July 2004 at 10am.
A copy of the DTI press release is available at: http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/detail.asp?ReleaseID=125194&NewsAreaID =2&Navigat edFromDep artment=False
A copy of the full DTI publication "Trade Union Membership 2003" is also available from the DTI website at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/emar/tum2003.pdf
- In April 2004, STUC launched a new campaign called Unions Work the campaign is committed to growing the trade union movement in Scotland through promoting how Unions Work for their members.
For further information, please see the Unions Work website: www.unionswork.org