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By Collins Oyuu
Union membership gives one rights under the law that one can’t have as an individual. The following are benefits of being in a union:
- Better wages and benefits
It’s been proven that workers who are trade union members earn more than non-unionized members. Trade unions use their collective muscle to bargain for better salaries, pensions, holidays, health insurances, sick pay, overtime and more. Unions hammer out negotiations with managements so as to get the best possible deals for employees.
- Personal protection
Unions have their members’ back as they will not only let members know their rights, they will also defend the rights of their members. If an employer treats a unionized worker unfairly, the worker can rely on the support and expert representation of his/ her union. As the workplace is transformed by automation and robotics, trade unions are demanding training, lifelong learning and social protection for workers to transition to the new world of work.
- Equality
Trade unions champion for equal rights and pay. They fight against race, gender and sexual discrimination. They foster respect and dignity at the workplace. They promote maternity rights as well as flexible working and paternity pay so that caring responsibilities are shared. Today, some of the world’s biggest trade unions are led by women and many unions are actively encouraging women and the youth to take on leadership roles in union structures. Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has given affirmative positions for women in all its 110 branches countrywide and at the national office. Rozalia Mkanjalla went for a national competitive seat and broke the glass ceiling for the first time in history. As a trade union representative, you can make your workplace better.
- Health and safety
Unionized workplaces are safer since trade unions won’t let workers put their lives at risk so as to meet production targets. The only people with the moral authority to assess the risk are those who face the risk. The only way to have a voice is to have a union. With the backing of a union, you can feel confident in saying no to dangerous work without losing your job. Trade unions campaign tirelessly for safer working conditions and can be thanked for most of the gains in workplace health and safety.
- Solidarity
Trade unions have an incredible network that spans the world. Global trade unions like Industrial, which has over 600 trade union affiliates in 140 countries, can use their membership of millions to command the attention of very big corporations. They can help resolve a problem on the ground that senior managements might not be aware of. When you join a union, you join a global family. Locally, the labour movement has organized itself into federations and labour centers. Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) houses the largest number of trade unions in Kenya including our very own KNUT.
The Great Depression in the United Kingdom in the 1930s, also known as the Great Slump, was Britain‘s largest and most profound economic depression of the 20th century.
It originated in the United States and quickly spread to the world. Trade unions were crushed and trade union leaders were arrested and detained without trial because they addressed issues of inflation and wanted employers to address salary hikes at a time governments were not able to
KNUT literally went through the same between 2015 to 2021 due to strained industrial relations. We lost all our members and most of our branches closed down as operations stalled. Our members became vulnerable and were exposed to a lot of untold suffering including lack of union representation when they needed it the most.
However, that shouldn’t hold the current leaders from focusing on rebuilding the institution.
KNUT must come back to mobilize recruitment and build confidence for already discouraged members. The union should also offer damage control to a few
disgruntled members who are still nursing election hangovers.
KNUT is currently on a structural recovery trajectory. An NEC meeting held at Turtle Bay Hotel at Watamu in Malindi resolved that for the union to get back to its feet, membership recruitment must take center stage.
Teachers can only enjoy those benefits they are entitled to once they join KNUT. (Oseno 2020) pointed out that belonging to KNUT has a statistically significant relationship to teachers’ job performance. A protected teacher is a motivated teacher!
The union will be rolling out a major recruitment drive across all its 110 branches countrywide. The drive will be spearheaded by the Secretary General himself, Members of the National steering, Executive officers and all branch executive secretaries.
We want to encourage our members to begin viewing KNUT as the only way of resolving trade union matters between them and the employer. The current leadership is restoring industrial relations with the employer and that is an indicator of better things to come.
The future is luminous!
Mr. Oyuu is the KNUT Secretary General
