ABSTRACT
Women, black, disabled and lesbian and gay members have been pressing for change in UK union structures, cultures and agendas. Over the last twenty years they have increasingly been recognised as significant stakeholders as UK unions have had to address their criticisms that unions are ‘male, pale and stale’ (TUC 1998a). The challenge is how to reformulate notions and practices of trade union democracy; to recognise that union membership is increasingly diverse, and diversely politicised, and that new structures and new cultures need to be developed to deliver union democracy and equality. This is crucial to collective organisation, renewal and mobilisation within UK trade unions.
