The proportion of employees in the Czech Republic who are members of trade unions has fallen from 32% to 13% over the last ten years, according to the results of a survey by the Research Institute for Social and Labour Affairs (RILSA) presented this week.
However, trust in the unions remained unchanged, with two-fifths of the population expressing confidence in them, from the 1,417 respondents. 11% of employees were considering becoming members of trade unions.
“Compared to 20 years ago, there has been a significant decrease in awareness of trade unions, while at the same time there has been an increase in the confidence of employees, coupled with the belief that they can seek justice for themselves in disputes with employers,” said Renata Kyzlinkova from RILSA.
She said the survey indicated that the activities of trade unions have become more professional, and satisfaction with their performance and the authority of trade union officials has increased in the companies where they operate. The personal work of union officials appears to be key to attracting new members, Kyzlinkova added.
“It is difficult for unions to reach out to the younger generation of workers, resulting in the problem of an ageing membership base,” said RILSA economist Jana Vanova. “If unions want to stabilise their membership base, they need to address the issue of how to reach young workers who are emphasising new issues, demanding new services and using new types of communication.”
Vanova said unions also must consider changing their approach to cater to people working in new and non-standard forms of employment, with different types of contracts, or using online platforms.
