Trade union presence provides cost benefits, says TUC

The presence of trade unions in workplaces could be saving employers in the private and public sectors as much £701 million per year, in large part because such workplaces are safer and workers are better trained and motivated as a result, a report by the TUC has argued.

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The report, Facility time for union reps – separating fact from fiction, by Professor Gregor Gall, professor of industrial relations at the University of Hertfordshire, argues that in workplaces where there are union reps negotiating with employers on behalf of their colleagues, there are significant cost savings to be had.

Specifically, the study found that workplace-related injuries were lower in unionised workplaces with union reps, so resulting in savings to employers of between £126 million and £371 million per year.