PROPORTIONALLY Wales boasts more trade union members than any other part of the United Kingdom - with over 35 per cent of the workforce unionised.

So it makes it especially saddening when I’m approached by constituents experiencing serious problems in the workplace, who’ve either never previously considered joining a union, or have somehow seen it as not for them.

You simply never know when you might need the help of a union, and although I’ll always do my best to assist, in the end there’s no substitute for the kind of specialist knowledge, support and expertise they can provide.

There’s also a wealth of evidence to show that unionised workplaces are better paid, provide better sickness and pension benefits, more holidays, and offer greater flexibility at work.

A union member in the public sector, for example, can expect to earn around £1,690 more, on average, for every £10,000 earned by an equivalent non-union member, with union members in the private sector benefitting too – earning £580 more on average for every £10,000 earned.

And interestingly, given that promoting union membership amongst young people is traditionally challenging - 16 to 24-year-olds who are members of a trade union earn 33 percent more than their non-unionised equivalents.

Meanwhile, the modern trade union movement has never been more relevant to women, with studies showing that within unionised workplaces pay differentials are reduced, women get more time off, more parental leave, and are more likely to benefit from job sharing schemes and flexible working.

Indeed, women now outnumber men in terms of grassroots trade union membership - a sea change in the movement reflected in the election of the TUC’s very first female president, Frances O’Grady, two years ago.

Since 2010, we’ve seen the union movement at the forefront of the campaign against Tory-Lib Dem austerity, underling their wider campaigning function and their role in shaping and informing the public and political debate on key issues.

And just this week, I sponsored a Wales TUC debate on industrial policy in Wales that provided a really important forum for trade unionists, academics, politicians and the public to ponder some really searching questions around Wales’ industrial and economic future.

Trade unions are important. On the one hand because they offer vital support and protection for the individual in the workplace, but also because collectively they have delivered better pay, fairer conditions and more rights in the workplace.

To find out more about why unions are good for everyone, visit: http://www.strongerunions.org/theunionadvantage/