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The strength of British trade unions has been progressively reduced by the nine acts that have been passed since 1979, but the emergence of a 'flexible' labour market in which the middle classes have as much to lose as the working classes has given a new relevance to the trade union movement. Public hostility to trade unionism has also diminished with the ending of an era of wild-cat strikes. Trade unions must now grab the opportunity to help refashion society by becoming effective partners in the management of a capitalist system.

UK Employment Secretary David Hunt argues that trade unions must adapt to the demands of the marketplace if they are not to suffer a further decline in their membership. Union membership fell from 13.3 million in 1979 to 9 million by 1993. Hunt argues that Government reforms have simply served to enhance and protect the democratic rights of trade union members. He believes that trade unions can prosper if they learn the lessons of competition and offer services that employees need and are willing to pay for. Trade unions have the potential to offer expert advice on aspects of people's working lives.