Trade unions across the Caribbean must adopt new strategies and embrace modern communication methods if they are to attract and retain younger workers, according to Vice President of Union Network International (UNI), Trevor Johnson.
Speaking during a recent interview, Johnson challenged the notion that young people are uninterested in trade unions, arguing instead that labour organisations have not sufficiently adapted their approaches to meet the expectations and realities of a new generation of workers.
"It is not that young people are not interested in unions," Johnson said. "We need to discover what will attract a young person today, which is not necessarily the same thing that attracted me."
(L-R) Trevor Johnson, David Massiah (ABWU General Secretary)
Johnson, who is also the former General Secretary of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers’ Union of Trinidad and Tobago, noted that many veteran trade unionists joined the labour movement as teenagers decades ago, but warned that the methods used to engage workers in the past are no longer effective. He said unions must leverage technology and digital platforms to connect with younger audiences.
"In my day, you could put a physical notice on a union notice board…people would stop and read it," he explained. "A young person isn't doing that today. It has to come on their phone, and it has to be one swipe."
The UNI Vice President stressed that unions must actively seek to understand the concerns and aspirations of younger workers rather than blaming declining membership on a lack of interest. He argued that successful organising depends on meeting workers where they are and communicating through channels they use every day.
“It may mean leaving our union offices,” Johnson said. “It may no longer be phone calls. Young people are not interested in spending too long on the phone."
Johnson also highlighted the importance of increasing women's participation in trade unions, noting that the modern workforce includes significantly more women than in previous generations.
"We need to discover what will attract a young woman to join a trade union," he said. "Most collective agreements are male-slanted. We need to understand the issues impacting women workers today."
While acknowledging the challenges facing labour organisations, Johnson expressed optimism about the future of union organising. He maintained that the benefits of union membership remain as relevant as ever and that the key challenge lies in how those benefits are presented.
"The product that we offer is still a valid product," he stated. "We simply need to repackage it to ensure that people understand what we're about."
Johnson concluded by emphasising that unionised workers continue to enjoy stronger protections than their non-unionised counterparts and urged labour organisations to modernise their outreach efforts to ensure continued growth and relevance.
ADVERTISEMENT:
