Decline in Union Membership Singapore

British Journal of Industrial Relations 40:3 September 2002 0007–1080 pp. 431–461

Trade Union Growth and Decline in Asia

Sarosh Kuruvilla, Subesh Das, Hyunji Kwon and Soonwon Kwon

Abstract We examine trends in union density and union influence in several Asian countries. Though we find variation in union density, all countries experienced union decline in the 1990s. Asian countries also vary on our new union influence measure. We use a logics of action framework to examine the institutional context surrounding union growth, decline and influence in each country. Based on our examination of how these institutional contexts are changing, and what we know about the strategies of unions, we are not hopeful regarding the near term prospects for reversing union decline.

1. Introduction The goal of the paper is to assess, comparatively, the growth, decline and prospects for renewal of trade unions in selected Asian countries. We first examine union density and union influence using a new measure that takes into account both the level and coverage of collective bargaining. We then explain the diverse national patterns of union growth and decline and the levels of union influence that we find, using a new logics of action framework. Finally, we assess emerging union strategies to examine the potential for union revitalization in these countries. We focus primarily on China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines. This is a sample of ‘convenience’, in that we chose only those countries for which we could obtain consistent data on density, levels of bargaining and bargaining coverage. On the other hand, these are important countries in Asia (in terms of population or GDP), with relatively large labour movements (in absolute numbers or density), and thus are appropriate for this analysis. In general, we find that there is variation in union density and levels of trade union influence within Asia and a steady decline in union density in the 1990s...