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A New Collectivism: How private sector trade unions can innovate and grow

With trade union membership falling, we need to work out how we reform trade unionism for the 2020s.

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A New Collectivism is a multi-author report on how trade unions can modernise to meet the challenges of the changing world of work. It is a follow-up to our hotly debated report on the future of the union movement in Britain.

The report features an introduction from the current general secretary of the TUC Frances O’Grady setting out the need for unions to change their practices and a challenging joint chapter from former trade union leader John Monks and Labour’s shadow minister for unions Jack Dromey MP setting out how a new model of trade unionism would work.

The report includes chapters from leading trade unionists from across the movement (including senior officers from UNISON, Usdaw, Prospect, Community and the Musicians’ Union), as well leading thinkers on the left.

  • Frances O’Grady – Introduction
  • Cameron Tait – Towards a membership renaissance
  • Jack Dromey and John Monks – A radical agenda for trade unions in the private sector
  • John Hannett – Going for growth
  • Kay Carberry – Working together
  • Naomi Pohl – Diversity in everything we do
  • David Arnold – Creating the conditions to deliver for the low-paid
  • Sue Ferns – How do unions eat the digital elephant? One bite at a time
  • Lauren Crowley – Workers doing it for themselves
  • David Coats – Trade unions and the state
  • Melanie Simms – Getting the policy context right
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How to purchase

Copies are available priced £4.95 from the Fabian Society bookshop – call 020 7227 4900, email or send a cheque payable to “The Fabian Society” to 61 Petty France, London, SW1H 9EU.
Opinion

Trade unionism for the 2020s

17 January 2018

FRANCES O'GRADY: Too many private sector and younger workers don’t think of unions as representing people like them

Continue reading
Insight

It’s time for unions to consider new forms of cooperation

17 January 2018

CAMERON TAIT: Private sector unions are showing no signs of giving up the fight for a membership revival

Continue reading Employment

Editors

Cameron Tait

Cameron Tait is head of the Changing Work Centre and senior research fellow at the Fabian Society.

@cameronrjtait

Tobias Phibbs

Tobias Phibbs is a researcher at the Fabian Society.

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