TUC Equality Audit 2026
The TUC Equality Audit has been monitoring progress the trade union movement has been making to eliminate all forms of harassment, discrimination and prejudice, both within our structures and in workplaces since 2003. This audit, focusing on trade union membership and our representative structures, highlights the progress that has been made since the 2022 evaluation.
We have seen from responses that affiliated unions are making good progress when it comes to preventing sexual harassment, encouraging reporting and building confidence in union responses to complaints. However, there is still more work to be done when it comes to building preventative cultures, particularly considering the new requirements in the Worker Protection Act 2023.
It is clear from the findings of this report, based on the additional questions introduced on work unions are taking to tackle the rise of the far and populist right, that this is a priority area for affiliates. Adoption of the TUC’s model equality clause – or bespoke wording specific for each union – is high, and most union members are subject to rules regarding membership of far right or racist political parties.
Affiliates are investing in training, resources and support for representatives in tackling far right narratives; this is crucial as we cannot talk about our work to combat the far right without acknowledging the racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, ableist and anti-migrant sentiment that underpins their messaging.
While there has been some improvement in terms of the data trade unions collect on different protected characteristics, for staff and for members, there is still a long way. Having up to date, accurate data is one of the best ways to ensure our movement is representative of the workers we support and affiliated unions should consider investing in accurate data collection and maintenance to allow for targeted campaigns and to ensure the work they do to tackle inequality is reaching the workers who most need our support.
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