The effectiveness of trade unions in meeting teachers’ needs: a case of primary education sector unions in Lusaka district.

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Date
2023
Authors
Chungu, Mwansa
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Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Employees in the primary education sector are faced with a number of challenges in their places of work. In order to deal with these challenges, they form trade unions in an attempt to enhance their strength and fight for improved terms and conditions of service. In order to be effective trade unions, provide collective strength, improved wages through collective bargaining and provide member services for their teachers in the primary education sector. The general objective of the research was to examine the effectiveness of trade unions in meeting teachers’ needs in the primary education sector in Lusaka district. Specifically, it aimed at examining the effectiveness of trade unions in providing collective strength to teachers in the primary education sector. It also aims at analysing the effectiveness of trade unions in improving wages for teachers and assess the effectiveness of trade unions in providing member services. This research employed a mixed method research design. This means that it collected both qualitative and quantitative data. The sample comprised of 116 ordinary teachers and trade union officials in Lusaka district. From the sample, sixteen respondents were trade union officials and 100 were ordinary teachers drawn from the ten schools. Ten were trade union officials based at the schools where the research was conducted from. Then three trade union officials were at district level and three trade union officials were at national level. Purposive sampling was used to sample trade union officials. While Multistage and simple random sampling were used to sample ordinary teachers. To collect data questionnaire and interview guide were used. To analyse qualitative data, content analysis was used while Statistical Package for Social Statistics (SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data. The findings of the research indicate that trade unions are effective in providing collective strength for teachers in the primary education sector. This is so, because trade unions recruit their members using two methods, capturing where teachers are neither consulted nor asked to apply for membership. Trade unions are somewhat effective when it comes to improving wages in the primary education sector. This is done through collective bargaining. Trade unions are also somewhat effective in the provision of member services because trade unions provide member services like loans, land, school sponsorship and union branded clothes but the services are not enough.
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Keywords
Zambia National Union of Teachers. , Teachers' unions--Zambia--History.
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