56% of Public Service employees were covered either by current (48%) or expired (8%) Collective Agreements (CAs) as at June 2003, a rise of four percentage points compared with last year. Union membership has risen to 57% of all employees, compared with 53% last year. 97% of staff on current CAs were union members, up from 91% last year, reflecting further bedding-in of the Employment Relations Act.
Staff who are more mobile between organisations, or are entering into short-term employment relationships, are less likely to be covered by collective bargaining. These groups include the most vulnerable parts of the workforce, as well as the least vulnerable.
