I recall a time when our members stood in relentless enthusiasm as the solid structure that made the Union strong. They refused to remain idle and allow the leadership to be at the fore front all by themselves. The members led at all times side by side with the officially elected management team. They were beside their team on the battle fields. Members responded resolutely to the battle cry; they were always present. Indeed, employees recognized that everyone was part of a chain and that every single link was important. They were robustly cognizant of the value of providing moral support to the leadership. The motivation was mutual.
What has changed? Where is the membership militancy which once existed? It appears that a number of external factors may have contributed to the apathy that currently exists. For one the conditions imposed by international lending institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank may have negatively impacted on the public service and by extension the trade union movement.
Too often trade unions have had to stand by helplessly while employees are losing their jobs and suffering from oppressive working conditions. Besides layoffs and redundancies, governments are generally unwilling to offer any alternatives. They seek to persuade the public that these draconian actions are the only remedy for economic decline; a situation which was not brought about by the public officer. The public officer is charged with the responsibility to implement government. Some of the policy advice comes from advisors who are too often not conversant in the subject areas that they have been contracted to advise on.
Some top public officers allow ministers to usurp their roles without as much as a whisper. This does not come as a surprise since some of those appointments to senior positions are based on political allegiance. Some appointments are a reward for the loyalty of these individuals. That approach in hiring persons on contract has in many instances retarded upward mobility of long serving public officers. Such conduct by senior public officers is troubling and may be part of a bigger plot to suppress support of lower levels for the trade union.
Some politicians in seeking to regain the allegiance and support of public officers will make it appear that they are responsible for solving personnel issues such as appointment and promotion. Unfortunately, such behavior appears to be aimed at undermining confidence in the union and increasing loyalty to the political directorate, which will resort to whatever shenanigan it takes to win an election.
We often hear some members say, ‘”The union is not doing anything for me.” Members must reflect on that thought and desist from uttering such baseless statements. It is important to understand that the trade union is not a privately owned enterprise. We all form the union. Hence such a negative statement is an indictment of the member him/herself. Every member is an important link in the union’s chain, that if broken will affect the entire organization. As such we must be mindful of the words we use in characterizing the work of our union.
One way of keeping the union focused on its role is to develop an appreciation for the trade union movement in general. Members must inform themselves about the work and achievements of their union. One way this can be done is by reading. In the past that was a popular hobby. Today reading is not popular. While information is more readily available, it is not being accessed as it should. So there is the need to read whatever publications that are available. They may get connected to the union on Facebook or other forms of social media informing themselves of the current issues and updates.
Meetings and rallies and other activities organized by the union also provide opportunities to learn about the union’s plans, programmes and what effort are being undertaken to improve work conditions. Members should attend these events as their failure to do so works to the advantage of the employer who capitalizes on such apathy to violate rules and procedures knowing quite well that the union may not have the requisite support from its members to enforce effective protest actions.
Politicians from various jurisdictions at one point or the other have been blamed for trying to usurp the authority of the union. An honest and in-depth analysis of the situation reveals that union members themselves contribute to that behavior. They bypass the union and go directly to the politicians with their concerns. By so doing they allow themselves to be ‘bought’, weakening the hands of the union.
In summary, members of the trade union should pay heed to the saying “you should not bite the hands that feed you.” In a way it is the union that feeds you in that in fights to ensure the security of your bread and butter. Genuine and uncompromising representation is assured only by the union. It is time for members to stand up and reignite that energy which once made the union a strong and united force to contend with.