Why Did Union Leaders Abandon the Workers?

The Workers of England Union recognised that the British Trade Unions and the British Trade Union Congress (TUC) had lost touch with working people in England. This disconnect prompted our foundation to champion the voice of the modern worker.

Decline of British Trade Unions

Union membership has trended downward for decades, forcing mergers among organisations. Today, the TUC represents fewer than 50 affiliates out of over 160 registered unions. As Paul Embery explains on Unherd.com, the movement’s leadership has drifted away from its core mission of defending workers’ rights.

Once, trade union leaders were household names. They could halt the economy with wildcat strikes, go-slows and work-to-rule tactics. The BBC broadcast live coverage of the TUC congress, and national newspapers maintained dedicated industrial correspondents. Today, the movement is a shadow of its former self.

The Truth About ‘Liberal’ London

Over the past 40 years, the perfect storm of globalisation, deindustrialisation, restrictive legislation and austerity has eviscerated trade union influence. Membership has halved since 1980, dropping from 12.2 million to around 6.1 million.

In parallel, the Labour Party has morphed into a bourgeois, London-centric outfit, taking its industrial wing along with it. Senior union officials are now fast-tracked graduates more comfortable with identity politics and social engineering than negotiating pay and conditions.

The Workforce Left Behind

As unions retreated into their public-sector redoubt—where 58% of members work despite the public sector accounting for only 17% of total employment—they detached themselves from private-industry workers. Those on zero-hour contracts, in call centres, warehouses or the gig economy remain voiceless, with no serious strategy to reconnect.

Brexit and Union Leadership

Brexit exposed the leadership’s distance from its base. Union chiefs lined up with the establishment—Tory ministers, the CBI, the IMF and the banking industry—to defend continued EU membership. Yet they would cheer on workers abroad fighting undemocratic power. In Britain’s post-industrial heartlands, working-class voters delivered the referendum result; the response from the TUC has been muted at best.

Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, insisted that the Single Market best protects workers’ rights, ignoring that most labour advances were secured in Westminster after union-led campaigns. Equally silent on the wage-depressing impact of free movement, the leadership’s stance betrays the very people they claim to represent.

Embracing New Unionism

Today’s leaders must relearn the lessons of New Unionism from the late 19th century. Campaigners like Tom Mann, Will Thorne, John Burns and Ben Tillett brought unionism to unskilled labour, swelling membership and making the movement relevant to millions.

• Worker representation on boards and employee share schemes could rebuild solidarity between capital and labour.
• Embracing reforms—such as postal ballots for senior officials—has increased accountability and transparency.
• A renewed focus on collective bargaining in the private sector would restore unions to their core purpose: winning better pay and conditions.

Conclusion

It’s time to revive the spirit of the New Unionism and reconnect with those whose labour generates national prosperity. Only by refocusing on the bread-and-butter issues and abandoning the echo chambers of identity politics can trade unions reclaim their role as defenders of working people.