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Importance of unions

16 Jun 2020

Q. How important are unions for Australian working people today?

  June

2020

October

2015

February

2014

December

2013

May

2013

September

2012

March

2012

Very important 24% 26% 27% 22% 21% 16% 19%
Quite important 37% 36% 34% 35% 35% 36% 37%
Not very important 17% 21% 21% 22% 24% 28% 27%
Not at all important 7% 7% 9% 12% 12% 10% 8%
Don’t know 16% 11% 8% 9% 8% 10% 9%
TOTAL: Important 60% 62% 61% 57% 56% 52% 56%
TOTAL: Not important 24% 28% 30% 34% 36% 38% 35%
Base (n) 1,087 1,012 1,051 1,063 1,050 1,035 1,043

 

    Federal Voting intention
  Total Labor Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other  
Very important 24% 33% 15% 29% 26%  
Quite important 37% 40% 35% 41% 35%  
Not very important 17% 11% 26% 13% 16%  
Not at all important 7% 3% 12% 4% 6%  
Don’t know 16% 13% 13% 13% 17%  
TOTAL: Important 60% 73% 50% 70% 61%  
TOTAL: Not important 24% 15% 37% 17% 22%  
Base (n) 1,087 334 412 96 140  
  • 60% of respondents think that unions are very, or quite important for working people. Importance of unions is consistent with 2015 when this measure was last recorded (62% in October 2015). However, there has been an increase since 2012 in the proportion of people saying unions are important, increasing from 52% in September 2012.
  • Unions are considered more important by those intending to vote Labor (73%) or Greens (70%) at the next Federal election than those intending to vote for the Coalition (50%).
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