Unions around the world have had declining membership over the last 30 years. But there are signs that this may be turning around as new campaigns and recruitment strategies have been developed. But is the ageing of the trade union membership inevitable? How do young people connect with and join unions especially when they are in ‘precarious’ ‘non-standard’ work arrangements?

Carl Roper will draw on his experience across the last twenty years in union organising. Carl joined the TUC Organising Academy in 2000 as a trainee union organiser following fourteen years as a workplace union activist. In 2004, he became Director of the TUC Organising Academy responsible for leading and developing the Academy’s training programme for union organisers and officers. He then took up a post as a Regional Organiser with the NASUWT, one of the UK’s teaching unions.

He returned to the TUC in 2008 and in 2009 took up his present position as National Organiser, leading the TUC’s work on organising and recruitment. This work includes responsibility for the development and content of the TUC Organising Academy, providing support to unions on union organising strategies and running the TUC’s Leading Change Programme for senior union officers.  Most recently, Carl has been working on the TUC’s ‘Reaching Out to Britain’s Young Core Workers’ project which is developing new ways of organising young workers.

Carl studied History at Liverpool John Moores University and is a graduate of the Harvard Law School Trade Union Programme.

Carl Roper is in New Zealand at the invitation of the NZ Council of Trade Unions who have supported CLEW in the presentation of this seminar.

Please RSVP as venue numbers are limited - clew-events@vuw.ac.nz