Historical data on trade unions
This page provides data from a number of official and unofficial sources on the size and activities of the trade union movement.
Membership of trade unions, 1892 to 1968
Number of employees who were trade union members and number of trade unions at the end of each year. NB the explanatory note given with this data, which reads:
‘Note: The statistics given in this table have been compiled by the Department of Employment and Productivity from data supplied by the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies and the Registrar of Friendly Societies for Northern Ireland for trade unions registered under the Trade Union Acts, and from returns supplied direct to the Department by unregistered organisations. They relate to all organisations of employees — including those of salaried and professional workers, as well as those of manual wage-earners —which are known to include in their objects that of negotiating with employers with a view to regulating the wages and working conditions of their members. The figures cover the total membership (including members in branches overseas) of all such organisations known to the Department to have their head offices situated in the United Kingdom. They do not include members of organisations which have their head offices outside the United Kingdom. The figures for recent years aro subject to minor revision as later information becomes available.’
Source: British Labour Statistics: Historical Abstract 1886-1968, Department of Employment and Productivity (1971).
Click to view or download the PDF.
Proportion of employees who were members of a trade union: UK 1900 to 2000
Percentage of employees who were members of trade unions for each year throughout the twentieth century. NB this differs from the number of trade union members because the overall size of the workforce varied over time.
Source: Labour Market Trends, vol 101, issue 3, p113, March 2003. Office for National Statistics.
Click to view or download the PDF.
NB. Labour Market Trends is no longer published, but this issue is available online here.
Strikes 1901 to 2000
Number of strike days each year throughout the twentieth century. NB this is calculated by multiplying the number of workers on strike by the number of days for which they were on strike.
Source: Labour Market Trends, vol 101, issue 3, p113, March 2003. Office for National Statistics.
Click to view or download the PDF.
NB. Labour Market Trends is no longer published, but this issue is available online here.