The gender representation gap: implications for workplace union effectiveness

This article investigates how the gender of workplace representatives has implications for three dimensions of union effectiveness: (i) responsiveness to members; (ii) opportunity to influence management; (iii) ability to bring about change. Utilising original analysis of the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study (WERS), we examine three core elements of workplace employment relations processes that cut across the three dimensions: (i) workplace representation processes and employer support for union activity; (ii) substantive areas of representative involvement; (iii) quality of relations between union representatives and management, and between union representatives and employees. Our analysis highlights significant gender differences embedded in all three processes. The conclusion considers the broader implications of these findings for the gender equality project of British trade unions, beyond the objective of merely seeking to increase the numbers of women representatives.