Trade Union Members' Participation at Branch and Regional Levels: A Comparison of Women and Men in UNISON

Based on a questionnaire survey of members of the UK public sector trade union UNISON, this article examines factors that influence the ability and willingness of trade union members to take on unpaid roles at the level of the branch and region. The article compares the experiences and views of men and women in relation to potential barriers to union participation. Participation at both branch and regional levels is found to be associated with collective orientations and the extent to which members feel encouraged by UNISON to become active within the union. The findings point to the importance of union efforts to encourage members to take on lay representative roles and participate in union governance.