Who are the union free-riders in Ireland? Evidence from the Working in Ireland Survey

John Geary and María Jesús Belizón Cebada
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John Geary: School of Business, University College Dublin, Ireland
María Jesús Belizón Cebada: Universidad Pontificia Comillas ICAI-ICADE, Spain

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2025, vol. 46, issue 4, 1101-1134

Abstract: Trade union free-riding is a highly contentious issue for trade unions. Yet, it is poorly understood. Using data from a representative survey this article examines the incidence of free-riding in Ireland and profiles those who free-ride, distinguishing between two cohorts – never-have-been union members and former union members. The authors examine a series of hypotheses derived from the international literature to assess how free-riders are distinguished from union members and, in turn, how the two cohorts of free-riders are dissimilar from one another in their orientations to unions. The article concludes by identifying a number of theoretical contributions, makes some suggestions for the conduct of future research and identifies a number of policy implications for unions.

Keywords: Free-loading; free-riders; free-riding; Ireland; trade unions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:46:y:2025:i:4:p:1101-1134

DOI: 10.1177/0143831X241277482

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