Is Britain’s trade union movement dying? That is the question raised in the first article of this edition of Federation News. In the final article the conclusion is no. Trade unions will survive as long as workers’ are exploited.

That is not to deny that the world is changing. Capitalism is on the offensive. Neither domestic nor international labour law have kept pace with the growing economic power of transnationals. So how are unions responding?

In this collection of articles, a number of issues are considered. We look at the role of union mergers and the kind of mergers that are taking place. We look at the emphasis American unions are placing on the organising agenda and consider what lessons UK unions can learn. We look at the impact of labour law and the restraints it places on the ability of unions to respond to the needs of their members and resist the hostile actions of transnational corporations.

There are many questions raised and discussed in this collection of essays. A timely discussion about the role, structure and purpose of trade unions in the 21st century.