This article presents a survey conducted on behalf of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation into the causes of the decline of trade unions and of their potential in the western Balkans. The survey stems from a major concern that the social challenges of the transformation have led people to be more in need of a trade union than ever before but that the loss of the obligation to be a union member and the switch in the role of the union from that which applied before the transition have led to membership trends and union activities not keeping pace with what would seem to be required.