The Craig Thomson scandal has highlighted the worst of unions but it still pays to be a member

UNIONS are dropping fees and desperate to regain your trust after years of scandal. Could signing up be the best thing you’ve done for your salary?

Health Services Union members rallying outside Westmead Hospital last year. Picture: John

UNIONS have been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately but an analysis of average weekly earnings show it still pays to be a member.

According to the most up-to-date Bureau of Statistics figures, union members generally earn more money than non-union members.

Across all employees, the mean weekly earnings for members was $1215, higher than the average for those not part of a union, who earn $1092.

Health Services Union members rallying outside Westmead Hospital last year. Picture: John Appleyard

Higher wages are enjoyed by both men and women employees but is particularly beneficial for women.

They earn on average $1033 a week if they are members, compared to $837 if they are not members.

This applied to women across all occupations including managers, professionals, clerical and sales workers, according to the figures for August 2012.

Women in construction, accommodation and food services, and arts and recreation industries benefited the most.

However, non-union members working in financial and insurance services, real estate or for utility companies actually had higher average wages than union members.

As for men, they enjoyed a slightly higher average wage of $1391 a week if they were a member of a union, compared to $1316 if they were not a member.

Interestingly, neither men or women working in the mining sector benefited from union membership.

Being a union member does benefit workers in industries including construction.

The influence of unions has declined significantly since 1992, with membership falling from 43 per cent to 18 per cent of employees in 2012.

Members also pay hundreds of dollars a year in fees, with the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union charging $700 a year for members in Victoria, and $580 for NSW workers.

The Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes said the union had dropped its fees by $28, to $577.20 following the misuse of union funds by former federal Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Mr Thomson was sentenced to 12 months jail today, with nine months suspended for two years, for spending more than $24,000 on non-union related expenses such as sex workers, hotel stays and flights.

The HSU has acknowledged that it needs to rebuild trust with union members.

But despite the scandal Mr Hayes said its membership had increased by 5.5 per cent in the past 12 months, to 30,515 members, partly due to a campaign against the O’Farrell Government cost cutting in the health system.

WHO BENEFITS?

Industries where union workers have higher average wages:

■ Agriculture, forestry and fishing

■ Manufacturing

■ Construction

■ Accommodation and food services

■ Transport, postal and warehousing

■ Information media and telecommunications

■ Administrative and support services

■ Public administration and safety

■ Education and training

■ Health care and social assistance

■ Arts and recreation services