Why is union membership so low in Morocco?
16 February 2015
Read by 2391 persons
Only 3% of Morocco's 10.7 million workers are union members. This is due to the fragmentation of the union movement with around thirty organizations, the importance of agricultural employment and the rise of atypical work. Union membership is 18% in Tunisia and 67.5% in Sweden.
The trend is global: union membership is declining everywhere, but it is exceptionally low in Morocco. As reported in our previous issue (www.lavieeco.com), the unionization rate in Morocco is 3% according to the 2014 High Commission for Planning (HCP) labor market survey. Without data for all countries worldwide, it is hard to say whether this figure is the lowest in the world, but it is certainly among the lowest. In France, where unionization rates also fell during the 2000s, it is now 7.7% compared to 8.1% in 1999, according to OECD statistics. It's important to note that collective bargaining agreement coverage in France is extremely high (around 90%). These collective bargaining agreements are negotiated by unions and benefit all employees, whether or not they are union members.
In Slovenia and Turkey, both OECD members, unionization rates fell to 23.1% and 4.5% respectively in 2012, compared to 42% and 10.6% in 1999. In Northern Europe, however, union membership remains high despite a clear decline: 82.6% in Iceland, 67.5% in Sweden, 53.5% in Norway, compared to 87.4%, 80.6% and 54.8% respectively in 1999. The OECD average was 17% in 2013.
In the Maghreb region, the unionization rate in Tunisia was 18% in 2012, and the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), founded in 1946, claims 750,000 members alone, or about 17% of the active population. In Morocco, we do not have a statistical series on unionization rates that would have allowed us to measure its evolution. This is the first time an official figure has been published on this subject. Until now, only estimations were available, as union leaders themselves were and still are unable to provide figures on their members (unless they simply don't want to talk about it). "There is such a turnover of members that it is really difficult to give any figures on this subject. Depending on the circumstances, workers may decide to join a union and then, after a while, leave it," analyzes Mohamed Yatim, General Secretary of the National Union of Labor in Morocco (UNTM). However, for the latter, while the number of union members is certainly an important parameter, "the union's action should also be assessed in terms of its ability to mobilize. In union protests, it's not only union members who participate; there are also non-unionized workers who are probably interested in or concerned by the demands put forward."
This point of view is also shared by Abderrahmane Azzouzi, General Secretary of the Democratic Federation of Labor (FDT), who believes that "beyond the numerical aspect, undoubtedly important, a union is also judged by the work it is or is not able to do."
Collective action is hampered by new forms of work
The fact remains that for both, union action has become increasingly difficult and the statistic published by the HCP on this subject neither surprises nor astonishes anyone anymore. "In a context of fragmentation of the union movement, and lack of protection for union action, how can organizations defending the interests of workers develop and attract more members?" asks Mr. Azzouzi. According to the Ministry of Employment, there are currently about thirty national unions, not to mention professional organizations and other regional associations. "This phenomenon of multiplication of union organizations must be seen as the result of either personal ambitions or maneuvers aimed at weakening union action," observes an expert in labor law. Finally, the persistence of legislation that "criminalizes union activity," according to Mr. Yatim, referring here to article 288 of the penal code, is put forward as another reason for the low unionization of workers.
Beyond the reasons specific to the union world, there is also the context. And this context, frankly, is no longer favorable, here as elsewhere, to collective, solidarity-based action. "Globalization has dragged down, if not hampered, union action," points out an observer. The emergence of new forms of work, such as teleworking, part-time work, fixed-term contracts (CDDs), and subcontracting, has undoubtedly made collective union action more difficult. "The proof that this atypical work penalizes collective action is that the unionization rate has fallen even in the most democratic countries," he adds. It is significant in this respect that conventional labor law ("soft law") is gradually supplanting classic, state labor law ("hard law"), and even the International Labour Organization (ILO) is now following this trend.
In the case of Morocco, however, there is another factor that is probably more decisive in the weakness of union presence: the importance of agricultural employment. Even today, the agricultural sector employs 39.4% of the working-age population. Historically, unionism developed not in the peasant world but in the industrial world. And industry in Morocco, even including construction, employs only 20.8% of all workers.
Wherever agricultural employment is significant, the unionization rate is inevitably lower. In Morocco itself, while the unionization rate of the employed active population is only 3%, this rate is double (6%) among salaried workers, who represent about 45% of all employed active people.
The decline of unions should not please entrepreneurs
In developed countries, on the other hand, the decline in unionization is rather linked to the decline, or even disappearance in some cases, of employment in coal mining, steelmaking, shipbuilding, etc. Job losses in industry have certainly been more or less offset by jobs in services, but these are often jobs in small structures that are not very conducive to union action, not to mention the emergence and growth of temporary work and all other forms of atypical work.
In Morocco, atypical work has not yet taken off, but it is growing. Temporary work, which is a component of these new forms of work, is already a reality, while the increasing use of outsourcing of non-strategic activities (payroll management, transport, security, etc.) is also on the rise.
The decline of unions, or more precisely the level of unionization, should not, however, please entrepreneurs, or some of them. "It is a dangerous phenomenon, if we do not take care, because social protest, which is potentially there, could be led to express itself outside the official frameworks that are the unions," warns the General Secretary of the UNTM. This is an opinion no doubt shared by his colleagues from other unions.
When unionism means progress
Many studies have shown that countries where workers are strongly unionized achieve much higher economic performance than countries with low unionization rates. Among these studies is one carried out some years ago by...the World Bank. Moreover, in world rankings of competitiveness, quality of life, GDP per capita, etc., we always find, year after year, Northern European countries in the top 10. And in these countries, the level of union coverage is still very high.
Salah Agueniou.
Published February 16, 2015.
Posted online February 16, 2015.
The trend is global: union membership is declining everywhere, but it is exceptionally low in Morocco. As reported in our previous issue (www.lavieeco.com), the unionization rate in Morocco is 3% according to the 2014 High Commission for Planning (HCP) labor market survey. Without data for all countries worldwide, it is hard to say whether this figure is the lowest in the world, but it is certainly among the lowest. In France, where unionization rates also fell during the 2000s, it is now 7.7% compared to 8.1% in 1999, according to OECD statistics. It's important to note that collective bargaining agreement coverage in France is extremely high (around 90%). These collective bargaining agreements are negotiated by unions and benefit all employees, whether or not they are union members.
In Slovenia and Turkey, both OECD members, unionization rates fell to 23.1% and 4.5% respectively in 2012, compared to 42% and 10.6% in 1999. In Northern Europe, however, union membership remains high despite a clear decline: 82.6% in Iceland, 67.5% in Sweden, 53.5% in Norway, compared to 87.4%, 80.6% and 54.8% respectively in 1999. The OECD average was 17% in 2013.
In the Maghreb region, the unionization rate in Tunisia was 18% in 2012, and the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), founded in 1946, claims 750,000 members alone, or about 17% of the active population. In Morocco, we do not have a statistical series on unionization rates that would have allowed us to measure its evolution. This is the first time an official figure has been published on this subject. Until now, only estimations were available, as union leaders themselves were and still are unable to provide figures on their members (unless they simply don't want to talk about it). "There is such a turnover of members that it is really difficult to give any figures on this subject. Depending on the circumstances, workers may decide to join a union and then, after a while, leave it," analyzes Mohamed Yatim, General Secretary of the National Union of Labor in Morocco (UNTM). However, for the latter, while the number of union members is certainly an important parameter, "the union's action should also be assessed in terms of its ability to mobilize. In union protests, it's not only union members who participate; there are also non-unionized workers who are probably interested in or concerned by the demands put forward."
This point of view is also shared by Abderrahmane Azzouzi, General Secretary of the Democratic Federation of Labor (FDT), who believes that "beyond the numerical aspect, undoubtedly important, a union is also judged by the work it is or is not able to do."
Collective action is hampered by new forms of work
The fact remains that for both, union action has become increasingly difficult and the statistic published by the HCP on this subject neither surprises nor astonishes anyone anymore. "In a context of fragmentation of the union movement, and lack of protection for union action, how can organizations defending the interests of workers develop and attract more members?" asks Mr. Azzouzi. According to the Ministry of Employment, there are currently about thirty national unions, not to mention professional organizations and other regional associations. "This phenomenon of multiplication of union organizations must be seen as the result of either personal ambitions or maneuvers aimed at weakening union action," observes an expert in labor law. Finally, the persistence of legislation that "criminalizes union activity," according to Mr. Yatim, referring here to article 288 of the penal code, is put forward as another reason for the low unionization of workers.
Beyond the reasons specific to the union world, there is also the context. And this context, frankly, is no longer favorable, here as elsewhere, to collective, solidarity-based action. "Globalization has dragged down, if not hampered, union action," points out an observer. The emergence of new forms of work, such as teleworking, part-time work, fixed-term contracts (CDDs), and subcontracting, has undoubtedly made collective union action more difficult. "The proof that this atypical work penalizes collective action is that the unionization rate has fallen even in the most democratic countries," he adds. It is significant in this respect that conventional labor law ("soft law") is gradually supplanting classic, state labor law ("hard law"), and even the International Labour Organization (ILO) is now following this trend.
In the case of Morocco, however, there is another factor that is probably more decisive in the weakness of union presence: the importance of agricultural employment. Even today, the agricultural sector employs 39.4% of the working-age population. Historically, unionism developed not in the peasant world but in the industrial world. And industry in Morocco, even including construction, employs only 20.8% of all workers.
Wherever agricultural employment is significant, the unionization rate is inevitably lower. In Morocco itself, while the unionization rate of the employed active population is only 3%, this rate is double (6%) among salaried workers, who represent about 45% of all employed active people.
The decline of unions should not please entrepreneurs
In developed countries, on the other hand, the decline in unionization is rather linked to the decline, or even disappearance in some cases, of employment in coal mining, steelmaking, shipbuilding, etc. Job losses in industry have certainly been more or less offset by jobs in services, but these are often jobs in small structures that are not very conducive to union action, not to mention the emergence and growth of temporary work and all other forms of atypical work.
In Morocco, atypical work has not yet taken off, but it is growing. Temporary work, which is a component of these new forms of work, is already a reality, while the increasing use of outsourcing of non-strategic activities (payroll management, transport, security, etc.) is also on the rise.
The decline of unions, or more precisely the level of unionization, should not, however, please entrepreneurs, or some of them. "It is a dangerous phenomenon, if we do not take care, because social protest, which is potentially there, could be led to express itself outside the official frameworks that are the unions," warns the General Secretary of the UNTM. This is an opinion no doubt shared by his colleagues from other unions.
When unionism means progress
Many studies have shown that countries where workers are strongly unionized achieve much higher economic performance than countries with low unionization rates. Among these studies is one carried out some years ago by...the World Bank. Moreover, in world rankings of competitiveness, quality of life, GDP per capita, etc., we always find, year after year, Northern European countries in the top 10. And in these countries, the level of union coverage is still very high.
Salah Agueniou.
Published February 16, 2015.
Posted online February 16, 2015.
