Why do so few people join their union these days?

February 16, 2026 — 12:13pm

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I’m interested in why so few people join unions any more. I joined a union about five years ago and have been impressed by how helpful it is. I consider my pay and conditions to be fair and know that this is basically due to the hard work of our union. Is there any research into what stops people from joining their union?

A few years ago, a reader told me about a time they’d been invited to a union meeting and felt trepidation about accepting. They described it as feeling like “a child worried about getting in trouble from the adults”.

They ended up not attending and, later, felt ashamed of their decision. The response from the expert I spoke with about that question was fascinating, and worth having a look at.

But the answer to your specific question goes way beyond workers worried that they might be put in a career naughty corner by considering unionism.

I asked Dr Isabella Dabaja, a lecturer in the business school at the University of Sydney, about why union membership is so low in Australia. She said that one of........

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