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A DECLINE in trade union membership and presence in the workplace has led to a drop in national wealth, a labour movement think tank revealed yesterday.
Research by the New Economics Foundation and the University of Greenwich found parallels between falling numbers of trade unionists and plummeting wages nationwide.
The figures were revealed on the day MPs are set to vote on the Trade Union Bill, which would seriously restrain union activity should it pass.
Think tank Unions21 commissioned the study, which also shows that both union membership and wages have been in free fall since 1975.
Unions are now at half the size they once were, from 50 per cent of the workforce in 1981 to little more than a quarter today.
“This study gives academic weight what we as trade unionists already know — unions contribute to the economy,” said Unions21 chair Sue Ferns.
“Unions not only make our country a fairer place to work but also more prosperous.
“With fewer trade union members, less and less of the country’s wealth will go via pay packets into our businesses.
“Every attack on unions is an attack on GDP.”
The study suggested that if union membership returned to early 1980s levels, an extra £27.2 billion would be added to Britain’s current gross domestic product.
Ms Ferns labelled the loss “shocking,” adding that the amount “would pay for the capital investment needed to ensure that there are enough school places to meet the rising numbers of children in England and build 100,000 extra homes.”
