TUC Equality Audit 2022

The TUC Equality Audit 2022 considers the steps unions are taking to promote equality in their membership, structures and processes, and to ensure they reflect the diversity of their membership.

It also looks at the extent to which unions as employers provide equal opportunities for their own staff. It is complementary to the TUC Equality Audit 2020–21, which looked at unions’ efforts to promote equality through collective bargaining.

Questionnaires were sent to the 48 unions affiliated to the TUC in November 2021, with a completion deadline of 1 February 2022. Completed questionnaires were received from 41 unions, which is 85 per cent of TUC affiliates. This is a higher response rate than for the last equivalent audit in 2018 when 38 out of 50 TUC affiliates participated (76 per cent). And it is higher than in 2014, when 36 out of 54 TUC affiliates completed the audit (67 per cent). But more needs to be done to ensure a high return rate continues in the future.

While all TUC unions were sent the main audit questionnaire, those with fewer than 12,000 members were given the option of completing an abbreviated version of the questionnaire. This version was chosen by four of the 41 respondents: AEP, Napo, NSEAD and RCPod.

The unions responding in 2022 represent 99 per cent of all TUC-affiliated union members. The audit data was collected and analysed by the Labour Research Department on behalf of the TUC.

Please note the language used to describe different equality strands (e.g. BME, BAEM or LGBT+, LGBTI) in examples is the language used by the union that provided the example.