ABSTRACT
The question as to why individuals join unions has been the subject of considerable academic scrutiny for several decades (Olsen, 1965; Farber, 1983; Booth, 1985; Naylor, 1989). From an instrumental perspective, an individual joins a trade union when the net benefits are positive. The key problem for unions, under this framework, is how to overcome the freeriding behaviour of prospective members. For the researcher, the central question is, why do individuals participate in organizing drives and pay union dues when joining is not compulsory?
