Across the United Kingdom in recent years there has been a stabilisation of union membership, due partly to increased organising activity, more supportive public policy and growth in public sector employment. Despite advances, however, union density, the percentage of workers unionised, has continued to fall and many long-term trends in the economy, such as the growth of service sector and small firm employment, pose a threat to unions.  The purpose of this report is to examine the organising challenge that unions confront and the measures they can and are taking to respond in the specific context of Wales. Wales has long been a bastion of trade unionism within the UK, owing to its tradition of heavy industry and the strong culture of collective solidarity this fostered. The country is one of the most rapidly changing parts of the UK, however, and the problem of adjusting to occupational and industrial change is particularly acute within Wales. This report maps out the specific nature of the organising context unions face in Wales and reviews options for an effective organising policy, including consideration of effective organising activity that is already ongoing within Wales. 

Edmund Heery and David Nash