Madam, - David Marlborough (January 10th) is quite wrong to say that the decline in trade union influence during the period of social partnership agreements "can be no coincidence". Trade union influence, at least as measured by the proportion of workers in membership, has declined in partnership-free countries such as Britain and the United States during the same period to a far greater degree.
The real reasons for union decline in Ireland are twofold: the failure to legislate for employees to have the right to choose union representation; and the failure of unions to devote enough attention to recruitment and shop-floor organisation. As your report on recent industrial relations research at UCD showed ("Unsatisfied demand for union representation", January 9th), the biggest reason for workers in unionised workplaces not joining unions is that they have not been asked; and the biggest reason for workers in non-union workplaces not to join is the fear of employer retaliation.
Whatever the merits of social partnership, union decline in Ireland can be addressed only by improved union organisation in the workplace and by a campaign for a legal guarantee of the right of a majority of employees in a workplace to be represented by a union. - Yours, etc,
PAUL HARDY,
Nuns' Island,
Galway.