Union membership among teachers

I read in the Guardian a couple of days ago that “Only 55% of teachers in private schools are members of a union compared with 95% in state schools.” This came from a report on employment practices in the independent sector which hinted that many staff in the private sector operate without formal contracts or with employment contracts that are rarely if ever altered as circumstances change. I was surprised to hear that so few teachers in independent schools are unionised, after all, although every school is bound by employment law, teaching is a profession where trade union support can be crucial in matters relating to health and safety and employment protection. I was teaching about trade unions last week and gave my students a list of the acronyms of ten of Britain’s largest union organisations. The top number of correct identifications was three! Trade union membership has been in decline for many years, The most recent figures show that only one worker in four is now a member of a trade union.