Teacher Unions’ Strategies Enhancing Welfare Benefits for Teachers in Kenya. A Case of Kenya National Union of Teachers
- August 3, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Dr. Gideon M. Kasivu
Lecturer, Department of Educational Administration and Planning, School of Education, South Eastern Kenya University
Abstract:- Teacher unions seek through collective negotiation and bargaining with employers to improve benefits of their members. It is the desire of teachers to benefit from their unions as well as secure protection against unfair labour practices. This study was carried to investigate Teacher unions’ strategies enhancing welfare benefits for teachers in Kenya taking the case of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT). The study used descriptive survey design. The target population was 8320 primary school teachers and nine KNUT branch officials. Stratified sampling and simple random sampling were used to select a sample 830 teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select nine KNUT officials. The study used questionnaire for teachers and interview guide for KNUT officials as the instruments for the study. Content validity of the research instruments was ascertained through piloting of the test items while reliability of the questionnaires and the interviews was ascertained by a test-re-test technique. The data was analyzed by use of SPSS programme. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data and presented in frequency tables. Interview guide responses were reported in verbatim. The conclusion of the study was that KNUT was highly involved in enhancing issues concerning the welfare of teachers. The study recommends that the union should diversify motivational programs for teachers to continue promoting the welfare benefits for teachers in Kenya
Key words:- Teacher union, Welfare benefits, Motivational programmes, Collective bargaining, Collective bargaining agreement
I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Trade unions also referred to as labour unions are organizations of workers that promote the interests of their members through collective action. Flanders (2001) defines a trade union as an agency developed to protect, promote and improve the social and economic interests of workers in their workplace. Teacher unions represent and defend the interests of teachers in matters of salary, working and other social welfare benefits (Vaillant, 2005). They fight for the protection and improvement of economic interests and the security of teachers’ job at work place by protecting them from unfair labour practices. The instrument that is used by teacher unions in this venture is collective bargaining. The desire for teachers to form or join unions and engage in collective bargaining is, to equalize or level the power alignment between their employer and the teacher.
