Why Do So Many People Not Vote? Correlates of Participation in Trade Union Strike Ballots

Abstract

The Trade Union Act (2016) stipulates that in order for a strike to be lawful it must now achieve a turnout of ‘at least 50 per cent’ in addition to a majority vote for strike action in the UK. We know remarkably little about the correlates of voting and even less about the decision to vote or abstain in union strike ballots. We address this gap, drawing from a large-scale survey of Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members administered shortly after their 2019 national pay strike ballot. Results show a disconnect between the focus of the dispute (pay) and the grievances that motivated participation in the ballot (working conditions). We find that those who do not vote in strike ballots are not neutral or undecided, but are, in many cases, opposed to strike action. Our findings also demonstrate the importance of internal union communication to participation in strike ballots.