Trade unions and mental health during an employment crisis. Evidence from the UK before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundTrade union presence within a workplace could potentially affect employees working conditions and in turn health. We assessed the relationship between union (presence and membership) at the individual level and mental health in the context of COVID-19 employment disruptions. MethodsWe analysed panel data from Understanding Society collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (49,915 observations across 5,988 respondents) to assess the relationship between union presence and membership and a validated epidemiological measure of common mental disorders (CMD), the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire with a score of >/4 indicating probable anxiety/depression, referred to as caseness. A mixed-effect log-linear model assessed effect heterogeneity across time and industries, with average marginal effects (AME) indicating effect differences between groups. FindingsIn our sample, 49.1% worked in a unionised workplace, among which 53.8% were union members. Caseness prevalence was higher during the pandemic (25.4%) compared to pre-pandemic (18.4%). Working in a workplace with a trade union was associated with modest protection against CMD risk; (AMEpre-pandemic:0.010, 95%CI:-0.007; 0.027), (AME- pandemic:-0.002, 95%CI:-0.019; 0.016)]. Similarly, for union membership [(AMEpre- pandemic:0.016, 95%CI:-0.007; 0.039), (AMEpandemic:-0.010, 95%CI:-0.023; 0.020)]. Industry level heterogeneity exists in the relationship between union presence and membership and mental health. InterpretationTrade union presence may have a protective effect on workers mental health in periods of crisis, such as during a pandemic. Within unionised workplaces, trade union membership further mitigated the negative effects of the pandemic on mental health. Collective negotiation within workplaces may be protective in periods of uncertainty, benefiting all workers and not only those unionised. FundingMedical Research Council, Chief Scientist Office, European Research Council, Belgian National Scientific Fund (FNRS).