How do Shop Stewards Perceive their Situation and Tasks?: Preconditions for Support of Union Work

When unions world-wide confront a decline in density and power, pressure increases on shop stewards. They occupy a position which has been described as demanding, involving striking a balance between conciliation and tough negotiating, between ordinary and union work, and feelings of isolation from members. If shop stewards already experience a demanding work situation, and parallel to this the overall union conditions become aggravated, a next step would be to find out in what ways their situation can be facilitated. This article is based on data describing recent experiences of Swedish shop stewards, and it compares their situation to that described in the international research literature. It is found that the basic components of union work remain stable, in spite of recent labour relation changes and national differences. However, less than half of the reported problems were related to the direct contact with the employer. Shop stewards generally experience a situation characterised by inherent conflicts and wide-ranging tasks, resulting in high demands on their skills and in role overload. On the other hand, the results indicate differences with regard to union affiliate, age, experience and gender. In the eyes of union members the shop stewards largely embody the union organisation. Therefore, they should receive increased attention when dealing with the problems of unions. Measures to facilitate their work can include training, supportive networks and access to adequate information technology, and can further be targeted with regard to age/experience and gender.