Older Workers & Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions

1. Older Workers & Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions Presentation by Prof. Carla Lipsig-Mummé

2. Older Workers Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions THE CONTEXT • Too Old to Work and Too Young to Die • Restructuring at every level: the TCG Sector as a Harbinger of the future? FROM EARLY EXIT TO PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT RETENTION

3. Older Workers Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions THE 3 DILEMMAS: • Older workers (45+) have the highest union density of any age slice. Yet their situations are very diverse: one size does not fit all. How can unions refine the categorising of older workers: • To craft union strategy differently for those who choose to leave the labour force, those who are forced to leave and those who want to stay on? • How should unions strategise for older workers’ marginal and precarious re-entry into employment and unemployment, taking into consideration the great diversity of older workers’ situations? • Can unions integrate recognition of elder-diversity into advocacy for public policy and strategy around that advocacy?

4. Older Workers Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions THE 3 DILEMMAS CON’T: • The relatively high union density rates of older workers, coupled with their longer experience in unions and in union life at the workplace, should make them an important source of energy for union renewal and recruitment. How can unions use those who ‘stay on’ or seek to return to employment, to help rebuild union strength? • How should unions tackle the long-held belief that ‘staying on’ for older workers disadvantages younger workers?

5. Older Workers Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions THE AGEING OF AUSTRALIAN UNIONS • Who’s working? • International comparisons • Australian union membership and Canadian comparisons UNION RENEWAL AND THE PREMATURELY ELDERLY: the Four R’s • Recruitment • Retention • Representation • Reengagement

6. Older Workers Changing Labour Market Patterns; The Dilemma for Unions DOES ‘STAYING ON’ BY MATURE WORKERS DISADVANTAGE YOUNGER WORKERS? • The classic argument • The new labour market realities THE QUESTION OF LANGUAGE • Older, Mature, Elderly: Who are you calling Old?

7. 1980 1995 2002 Australia 50.0 28.0 23.1 Austria 59.6 51.6 35.0 * Canada 31.0 31.0 30.3 Denmark 77.8 81.9 81.7 ** France 19.0 9.0 N/A Germany 38.3 32.3 22.0 * Great Britain 55.8 32.1 29.0 * Italy 49.0 38.5 37.0 * Japan 35.0 20.0 20.2 * Korea, Republic of 21.0 13.8 12.0 * Norway 55.0 56.0 54.0 * Sweden 82.0 83.0 82.0 * United States 23.0 12.0 13.2 Union Density in Various Developed Countries, 1980-2002 (Source: C.Lipsig-Mummé in Gunderson, Ponak and Taras, Union-Management Relations in Canada, 2004) * Figures from 2000 / ** Figures from 2001 Source (European figures): Ebbinghaus, B. (2002). Trade unions’ changing roles: Membership erosion, organisational reform and social partnership in Europe. Industrial Relations Journal, 33, 465-483. Other sources: Australia - ABS (2002). Employee earnings, benefits and trade union membership, Cat # 6310.0. Canada - Statistics Canada (2002). Perspectives on Labour and Income. Japan - Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare (2002). Basic Survey on Labour Unions. United States - Bureau of Labor Statistics (2002). Monthly Labor Review, July.

8. Country Men 1991 Change (men) Women 1991 Change (women) Australia 65.6 -20.2 33.7 +3.1 Canada 69.4 -14.2 43.0 +8.5 Finland 57.4 -16.8 55.8 -0.9 France 64.2 -17.2 41.2 -0.7 Germany n.a. -12.5 n.a. -2.0 Japan 91.7 +2.4 54.5 +6.4 Netherlands 60.6 -16.2 21.9 +4.8 Norway 81.2 -5.3 63.0 +13.4 Portugal 73.9 -6.5 41.6 +5.2 Spain 68.9 -14.9 20.7 -5.3 United Kingdom 71.6 -18.1 51.9 +0.2 United States 74.4 -5.4 53.5 +7.3 Employment Rates Employment rates of older men and women (aged 55-59) in selected OECD Countries, 1991 (Percentage point change since 1970) Source: OECD (1995) ‘The labour market and older workers’, Paris: OECD, p. 19, reproduced in Samorodov, Alexander (1999) ‘Ageing and labour markets for older workers’, ILO Employment and Training Papers no. 33, Geneva: ILO, p. 15

9. 1993 2003 Employees Unionisation rate Employees Unionisation rate % % % % Agriculture, forestry and fishing 2.1 10.1 2.2 5.2 Mining 1.3 55.2 0.9 29.1 Manufacturing 15.6 43.5 12.5 25.7 Electricity, gas and water supply 1.5 71.5 1 53.7 Construction 5 35.1 6 26.5 Wholesale trade 7.1 16.5 4.9 8.5 Retail trade 13.6 22.3 15.5 17.3 Accommodation, cafes and restaurants 4.6 21.2 5.2 8.7 Transport and storage 4.4 58.6 4.5 38.2 Communication services 1.9 73.8 1.9 31.2 Finance and insurance 4.5 44.8 4 18.7 Property and business services 7.7 18.8 11.6 7 Government administration and defence 6.3 56.4 5 38.4 Education 8.8 56.3 8.3 41.8 Health and community services 10.3 38.7 10.6 29.8 Cultural and recreational services 1.9 31.7 2.3 13.3 Personal and other services 3.4 38.8 3.6 28.7 Total 100 37.6 100 23 Industry of EmployeesAustralia Source: ABS (2002). Year Book Australia: Population, Trade Union Membership Cat #6105.0

10. 1993 2003 Employees Unionisation rate Employees Unionisation rate % % % % Public sector 27.3 64.4 18.6 46.9 Private sector 72.7 27.5 81.4 17.7 Total 100 37.6 100 23 Sector of Employees Source: ABS (2002). Year Book Australia: Population, Trade Union Membership Cat #6105.0

11. Trade Union Membership Trade union membership rate by age Source: ABS (2002). Year Book Australia: Population, Trade Union Membership Cat #6105.0