TITLE: THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SECTOR TRADE UNIONS (A Case

of Civil Service Unions in Zimbabwe)

Course: 534 PSM - RESEARCH METHODS

From: STUDENT: JEREMIAH BVIRINDI (130466)bvirindi@yahoo.com

To: LECTURER: Dr Nelson Jagero

PROGRAMME: MPSM Distance Africa University

Due DATE: 30 April 2014

ASSIGNMENT: INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I......................................................31.0 Background of the study....................................31.2 Statement of the Problem...................................91.3 Purpose of the study......................................101.4 Research Objectives.......................................101.5 Research Questions........................................101.6 Scope of the study........................................111.7 Significance of the study.................................121.8 Operational Definitions of Key terms......................12CHAPTER II....................................................14REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE..................................142.0 Introduction..............................................142.1.1 Conditions of service for quality service delivery to be

achieved/concerns and expectations of civil servants.........142.1.2 The extent to which unions are fulfilling their mandates...............................................................172.1.3 Influence of politics in civil servants.................202.2 Theoretical Framework.....................................262.3 Related Studies...........................................27CHAPTER III..................................................31RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..........................................313.0 Introduction..............................................313.1 Research Design...........................................313.2 Research Population.......................................333.3 Sample Size...............................................333.4 Sampling Procedure........................................343.5 Research Instrument.......................................343.6 Validity and Reliability of Instrument....................353.6.1 Validity................................................353.6.2 Reliability.............................................353.7 Data Gathering Procedure..................................353.8 Data Types................................................373.9 Data Analysis.............................................37

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3.10 Limitations..............................................383.11 Ethical Consideration....................................38APPENDIX I....................................................43QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE FUTURE OF CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS IN ZIMBABWE..............................................................43APPENDIX II: LETTER OF CONSENT................................48APPENDIX III : QUESTIONNAIRE CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS IN ZIMBABWE..............................................................49

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

3

1.0 Background of the study

4

The viability of Public Sector Unions remains a challenge in both

developed and developing countries including Zimbabwe. Recent

studies on trends of Public Sector Unions by European Commission

(2010) revealed that membership of trade unions in European

Countries is gradually declining. The study further exposed that,

in recent years industrial relations developments have been

increasingly characterized by certain secular trends: decline in

membership of social partner organizations, decentralization of

collective bargaining, and less coordination and concentration.

The study also established that industrial relations in the

public sector have been pushed into profound structural reforms

aimed at greater cost efficiency, mostly under pressure of fiscal

consolidation objectives, but also as a result of the

introduction of new technologies. It said such reforms have led

into cuts in public services, as well as the outsourcing of

public services to privately –run organizations or privatization

of parts of the public sectors, and have contributed to the

transformation of industrial relations in the public sector.

Singling out major European economies, a look into the United

Kingdom economic history and industrial relations trends show

5

that trade unionism was a major factor in economic crises during

the 1960s and in particular the 1970s, culminating in the Winter

of Discontent of late 1978 and early 1979, when a significant

percent of the nation’s public sector workers went on strike. By

this stage, some 12 000 000 workers in the united kingdom were

trade union members. According to Phil Dine (2007) the election

of the Conservative party led by Margaret Thatcher at the general

election in May 1979, at the expense of the Labour’s James

Callaghan, saw a substantial trade union reform which saw the

levels of strikes fall. Dine observed that the level of trade

union membership fell sharply in the 1980s and continued falling

for most of the 1990s into 2000s. The long decline of most of the

industries in which manual trade unions were strong-e.g. steel,

coal, printing, the docks—was one of the causes of this loss of

trade union members, Schifferes and Steve ( 2004). (United

Kingdom Study(2013) on Industrial Relations profile established

that in 2011 there were 6,135,126 members in Trade Union Congress

(TUC) affiliated unions, down from a peak of 12,172,508 in 1980.

The trade union density was 14.1% in the private sector and 56.5%

in the public sector.

6

In the United Sates, the decline in unionism since WW11 has been

associated with a pronounced rise in income and wealth

inequalities and since 1967 with loss in middle class income,

Madland, Walter and Bunker (2013) In Asian countries, the trend

is also reflecting declining membership levels associated with

impacts of global economic recession that resulted in low

production capacity and retrenchments of employees, Barron S.

(2012). Apart from economic recession, it has also been noted

that strategic human resources management practices and labour

law reforms have added the impact on the declining membership as

more companies now prefer a union free workplace environment and

more companies are resorting to new labour strategies.

7

The most common and becoming popular human resources strategies

are outsourcing ,lease or hiring of staff without necessarily

having to employ workers. These strategies have created union

free work environment and most companies are more in favour of

these strategies which on the other hand have threatened the

viability of unions. The impacts of these trends are not being

felt in the public sector only as companies across the world are

also resorting to these strategies.

In Africa, some labour unions are still holding ground in

particular the SADC region. Trade unions in South Africa are very

powerful and they use their huge membership as leverage for

bargaining better conditions of service, Congress of South Africa

Trade Unions (COSATU, 2013). Unlike in Zambia or other SADC

countries, wide spread strikes in South Africa are a clear

testimony of vibrant trade unionism coupled with poor working

conditions against the background of a sound economy in the hands

of exploiters hence the frequency of strikes.

8

In Zimbabwe, the trend is completely different both in the

private and the public sectors. The economic melt-down in 2007--

2010 had a serious impact on trade union memberships as the

country recorded huge labour flight and persistent closure of

companies. It is on record that today, the economy is operating

at 37%, meaning the other 63% capacity in the economy is idle,

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (2014). This translates to

high unemployment and shrinking taxation revenue base for

government. This will have a heavy bearing on its employees’

salaries that can trigger massive retrenchments. Since 2006, the

government had frozen some vacant posts living open those

considered critical. It fell short of retrenching. Under these

realities, public sector unions went for three years without

negotiating for salary increments for civil servants as the

Government was almost broke and developed cooled feet in meeting

unions representatives.

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Despite its liquidity challenges, the Zimbabwe Civil Services

Commission today employs about 230 000 civil servants

out of its substantive establishment strength of around 280000

civil servants who occupy various grades and occupations in the

service some of which are still vacant since 2006. Of this

number , only 31% belongs to civil service unions, with the

education sector having majority membership.

Another underlying factor is that, the Civil Service is governed

by statutes which spell out the conditions of service of

government employees in line with their respective areas of

service as follows:-

- The Public Service Act governs the conditions of

service for rest of civil service.

- The Police Act governs the police force.

- The Prisons Act governs the prisons employees.

- The Defense Forces Act is for the army personnel.

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As can be concluded from the stated Acts, the uniformed forces

are governed bydifferent pieces of legislation and the forces are

not allowed to be active members of trade unions. Unlike in

Zimbabwe, all other uniformed forces except the defense forces

belonged to trade unions of their choices in India, America and

South Africa.

For the entire civil service, there are 14 registered

unions namely:-

- Government Workers Association (GWA)

- Civil Service Employees Association( CSEA)

- Professional and Technical Workers Association.

( PROTEC)

- Government Officers Association (.GOA)

- Administrative and Executive Officers Association

(.ADEX)

- Zimbabwe Nurses Association.( ZINA)

- Zimbabwe Teachers Association.( ZIMTA)

- Progressive Teachers Union Of Zimbabwe ( PTUZ)

- Zimbabwe Doctors Association( ZDA)

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- Teachers Union of Zimbabwe. ( TUZ)

- Zimbabwe College Lectures Association

- Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Association

- Zimbabwe Magistrates Association

- Public Services Association of Zimbabwe (PSAZ) –a

federation of five unions.

Of all these unions, only PSAZ and ZIMTA are affiliated to the

Labour Centre, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and they

have a wide coverage and their collective bargaining cover the

entire civil servants while the rest are sector specific and

negotiations are centered at departmental and ministerial levels

with the exception of rival teachers unions who are a product of

disgruntlement and have high appetite for power. Some are

affiliated to an outlawed ZCTU faction.

The individuals who formed these new unions previously belonged

to the PSAZ and ZIMTA and others are allegedly creations of

political patronage and this study will seek to examine the cause

of breakaway and the declining in membership.

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From year 1992 to 2000 the civil service experienced some labour

reforms triggered by Economic Structural Adjustment (ESAP), that

resulted in privatization, and commercialization of state

entities as well as unpronounced retrenchments which also

contributed to the alarming decline in union membership and the

emergency of small splinter unions. This decline in membership is

still a challenge and a continuous trend in trade union circles.

As ESAP hardships heightened, the government feared that some

labour unrests would prevail. In year 1997 a National Joint

Negotiating Council (NJNC) was established through a Statutory

Instrument #141 of 1997 recognizing only registered staff

associations as the legitimate negotiators representing

government workers for the first time. It is not a platform for

collective bargaining but for negotiating despite of a provision

for collective bargaining enshrined in the new constitution of

Zimbabwe.

In the NJNC, the Government is represented by Senior Government

Officers selected by the Civil Services Commission. An

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independent Chairperson agreed upon by both parties chairs the

negotiations meetings and is paid from Government budget lines.

Agreements arrived at in NJNC are considered as binding but at

times without implementation and these defaults have a bearing on

the effectiveness of unions. A particular example is a recent

signed agreement between government and unions to increase staff

salaries with effect from January 2014 which took time to be

implemented and no concern was raised by unions as the employer

remained quite on the issue beyond the agreed date of

implementation.

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1.2 Statement of the Problem

The declining union membership has weakened the leverage of

unions to effectively bargain for better conditions of service at

negotiations platforms to an extend that the Government often

times is at liberty to make some decisions affecting civil

servants without consulting unions. This practice is causing

frustrations resulting in brain drain and perceived

ineffectiveness of unions as well as poor service delivery.

Despite increased membership management schemes, by civil service

unions, the situation continues to worsen and no effort has been

made to find out why this sad trend is deepening.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to find out factors underlying the

shunning of trade unions by civil servants and how the situation

can be addressed in order to retain the viability of unions for

labour justice and improved quality service delivery.

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1.4 Research Objectives

The objectives of the research are;

- to examine the influence of political parties in the public

sector unions

- to establish the concerns and expectations of civil servants in

the service

- to find out the extent to which unions are fulfilling their

mandates.

1.5 Research Questions

In order to get at the real causes of this problem, the

researcher has to find some answers to the following questions;

(1) What are the concerns and expectations of civil

servants which they feel should be addressed or

fulfilled?

(2) Do political parties influence civil service union’s

membership?

(3) To what extent do unions represent members and how

effective is the representation?

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(4) What attractive schemes membership wants in order to

address their immediate social and economic needs and

wants?

1.6 Scope of the study

(a) Geographic scope;

The study will be conducted in Harare, the capital city of

Zimbabwe where all Government ministries are

headquartered and would cascade down to Provinces and

Districts where Government Departments are based. The

research will also cover selected civil servants based

at Head offices of all Government Ministries in Harare.

This study will also cover public sector staff Associations/

unions registered by the Government of Zimbabwe who are

all headquartered in Harare some with some offices in

Provinces. Focus will be made on their Head office

database in Harare.

(b) Content scope:

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The study will confine itself to the independent variable :

conditions of service. The dependent variable is

employee participation in trade union affairs.

(c) Theoretical scope;

The study will be guided by Freedom of Association and the

fence-sitting theories

1.7 Significance of the study

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Zimbabwe civil servants today are the lowest paid under hyper

inflation triggered by sanctions among other factors which

resulted in poor economic performance in the country. Under the

prevailing poor conditions of service, it was widely expected

that more civil servants would join Trade Unions in order to

voice their concerns as a united front but it is surprising to

note that the opposite is obtaining , throwing a lot of worries

to unions’ future. It is actually worrying in the union circles

as to why potential members are not joining the unions under

conditions which are fertile for strong union membership. Given

this sad trend, it is of paramount importance to find out factors

underlying this problem in order to address the situation for the

future viability on unions.

1.8 Operational Definitions of Key terms

As this study focuses on the Public Service, it is important at

the onset to define the terms frequently used in this study.

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The Public Sector refers to all institutions under the public

control where direct or indirect control is exercised through

appropriate legislation. It refers to the entire public

institutions like the National Government, Parastatals, Quasi-

government and local authorities and, in this respect their terms

of political control differ.

It is the Government here that is being referred to as the Civil

Services and the scope of this study will cover only staff

associations or unions in this sector or the Civil Service. It

is part of the broader Public Sector and though the terms Public

Service and Public Sector are used interchangeably, they may

refer to very different things. Staff Associations also refer to

civil service unions and the terms are used interchangeably.

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The Civil Service is the largest employer and single important

provider of economic development programmes in the country. It is

the provider of essential services to the public without which

the role and accountability of Government to the people will be

compromised. Its ability to perform its mandate effectively and

efficiently is to a large extent bound by the quality of its

labour relations and the availability of meaningful resources

including human capital.

Decent work is a concept which defines good conditions of

service that motivate people to work with dignity and hope for a

better working future while the World of Work is about the

dynamics of the labour market.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.0 Introduction

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The researcher will review books and journals on Public Sector

Unions by prominent writers from the International Labour

Organization (ILO) aka, the “World’s Parliament of Labour” and

Public Services International (PSI) among other authors. This

section will examine the conditions of service that are conducive

for achieving quality service delivery and quality job or decent

work delivery. It will look at the role of unions covering the

dimensions of the wider union agendas on reward systems, job

security, social protection, health and safety, fairness of

management, freedom of association and collective bargaining,

autonomy and skills development prevailing in the labour sector.

The study will also review literature on the impact of political

parties’ influence on trade unions and how it affects members and

union relations.

2.1.1 Conditions of service for quality service delivery to be

achieved/concerns and expectations of civil servants.

Caird, (as cited in Public Service International ,2005) argues

that quality public service is enhanced when workers are fairly

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paid, feel valued, have the opportunity to make good use of their

skills and talents, and can see that they have a future in the

organization where they work. Good jobs are therefore likely to

be associated not just with motivated and enthusiastic staff, but

with effective organizational structures and processes. Quality

jobs and quality public services are just two sides of the same

coin. To achieve better conditions of service, trade unions have

a role at collective bargaining to press for decent work

practices by the employer.

A recent academic research by Conor Cradden (2003) revealed that

there is rapidly amazing evidence that a certain set of work

practices yield relatively large permanent increases in labour

productivity and that the practices are associated with the

provision of good quality jobs, employees participation,

cooperative employment relationships associated with a minimally

hierarchical management system, a relationship between wages and

productivity and employment security. These findings were

supported by Robbins (2009) who observed that performance is a

function of job satisfaction.

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This theory by Robbins (2004) is true only where unemployment

levels are low and that people can get any employment as and when

they need it. In some African countries, where poverty is high,

performance is determined by job security and level of fear of

leasing that only source of life.

For Mucciacciaro (as cited in International labour Organization,

2006) decent work means that jobs should be rewarding. The work

should give and add value to worker’s life, with personal and

professional fulfillment. It appears the world of work’s

consensus is that decent work means jobs that allow for

fundamental rights, the right to associate, the right to

collective bargaining, the right to decent wages and a secure

job. Workers need jobs where they can provide long term for

their families and their future.

To achieve decent work, one must have the right environment for

workers to acquire both professional and personal skills ( A.

Moore, Director – Brussels Office Confederation of British

Industries ( CBI) personal communication,2006).. Moore said this

will provide a type of structure to drive their skills throughout

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their entire careers, enabling them to lead a balanced life. (S.

Burrow, President , Australian Council of Trade Unions, personal

communication 2007) described decent work as work that provides

dignity and respect for working people. Fundamental rights, such

as wages and safe working conditions, must be guaranteed if

decent working conditions are to be achieved. Decent work

provides optimism for working people and their families, helping

to guarantee economic growth and sustainability. It is believed

decent work is a product of decent fundamentals, enabling the

Government, workers and employees to come together.

Decent work is also about the same opportunities for both sexes.

As (R. K. Ananga, Executive director Ghana Employers

Association , personal communication, 2009) pointed out that in

her part of the world, women carry burdens of the family and they

have an old saying in Africa; you train a woman, you train a

whole nation. Ananga argues that when women work, not only do

they support themselves and their families, but they support

society.

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(R. Payos, Vice President Employers Confederation of Philippines,

personal communication 2009) said as a worker in the Philippines,

he took the concept of decent work very seriously because it is

there for his protection as well as the protection of all workers

despite race, gender and status – decent work gives awareness to

human capabilities.

2.1.2 The extent to which unions are fulfilling their mandates.

Decent work has become not only the organizing framework for

ILO’s activities in today’s age of globalization – it embodies

the principle that all human being irrespective of race, creed or

sex , have the right to pursue both material and well being and

their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity,

of economic security and equal opportunity – the attainment of

the conditions in which this shall be possible must constitute

the central aim of national and international policy. Decent

work has flourished into the organization’s future becoming a

global goal to be pursued by every country today and tomorrow,

Hansenne and Querenghi (1997).

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When the employer defies the fundamentals of decent work, unions

are expected to intervene. As unions widen their agenda to

include demands for quality public services, they should also

extend their struggle around the concept of job equality. This

approach combines the traditional collective bargaining agenda

with a new emphasis on job design, work organization, skills,

career development and respect.

As Christina Conteh ( as cited in Public Service International ,

2006) clearly put it: “ that is unfair for the administration to

order the security to search the bras and pants of nurses. We

want respect.”

The demand for quality public services and quality jobs cannot be

achieved without collective bargaining. Some International

Labour Organization (ILO) instruments deal specifically with the

issue of collective bargaining. ILO Convention No. 98 defines

collective bargaining as voluntary negotiations between employers

or employer organizations and workers’ organizations with a view

to the regulations of terms and conditions of employment by

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collective agreements. The related Recommendation No 91 goes on

to define collective agreements in effect as written contracts

between employers and workers representatives.

ILO (1981) highlighted that in modern society, collective

bargaining at different levels is the most important function

through which a trade union endeavors to accomplish its tasks –

improving working and living conditions for its members.

Collective bargaining is at the same time an essential

characteristic of a sound industrial relations system, recognized

as such by workers, employers and Governments alike.

The right to collective bargaining cover a whole spectrum of

systems and styles, reflecting to a large extent the cultural

values prevailing in a particular industrialised society. In many

industrial societies collective bargaining has indeed become all

but indispensable and it is an institution that has shown, time

and again, a remarkable resilience, adaptability and strength.

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Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU 2000), described

collective bargaining as a process of negotiations between

employers and employees for wages payable and other working

conditions that the worker will enjoy in return for their labour.

ZCTU alluded that trade unions are organisations whose intentions

are to improve the quality of the membership by pursuing the

following objectives:

to raise the material living standards of the workers as

high and as fast as the economy of a country can allow.

to develop dignity and respect for labour.

to avoid unilateral and arbitrary determination of working

conditions by employers;

to create democratic workplaces;

to create job satisfaction and security.

These objectives were supported by Tore N.,(1985) who said,

whatever the case, whether the union speaks for one man or for a

multitude, the burden resting on the representative’s shoulders

is heavy indeed. He asserts that, it is clearly of the utmost

importance, not only to working man or women, but to society as a

30

whole, that the members of trade unions should understand the

collective bargaining process, should appreciate its

possibilities and its limitations, and that workers

representatives should be competent to discharge their

responsibilities in this all important field.

In Zimbabwe today civil servants were removed from the main

Labour Act and are now governed by The Public Services Act which

has no provision for collective bargaining and a fair dispute

resolution mechanism like the right to withdraw labour as the

last resort after a deadlock at negotiations. This indeed

prompted some members of the unions to allege that civil service

unions are ineffective but on the other hand, civil servants were

not willing to strike. It is generally believed that, it is a

deliberate move by Government to divide and weaken unions.

Coetzee and Mamabolo,( as cited in COSATU 2003), contributed to

the discussion by saying the right to withhold labour is age-old.

They believed that as a remedy for conflicts between workers and

employers, it has a two-sided character: the workers can strike,

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but the employers can retaliate with lockouts. Looking at the

labour codes in most Western countries, Coetzee and Mamabolo,

confirmed that we find the right to strike in them but closer

analysis reveals that this entrenchment has a more regulatory

than a declaratory character. They went on to say that most

governments follow a middle-of-the-road approach by accepting the

right to withhold labour, provided employers and workers follow

certain procedures before striking or resorting to lockouts.

These procedures have a cooling-off function and are prescribed

by the law.

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2.1.3 Influence of politics in civil servants

International Labour Convention 87 (ILC 87) takes keen interest

in civil and political rights for without them there can be no

normal exercise of trade union rights and no protection of the

workers. Chapter II Paragraph 24 refers to freedom of expression

and of association as essential to sustained progress and

fundamental rights which are an inseparable part of human

dignity. Until recently, legislation in several countries

established a close relationship between trade union

organizations and the single political party in power. It is the

researcher’s submission that evil political relations should not

be allowed to exist for it serve to compromise the rights of some

workers of different opinion:

33

Posel (2007) in her case study of apartheid civil service on

Labour Relations and the politics of patronage made an assessment

of the historical relationships between the apartheid state and

white civil servants in the old South Africa public service. Her

analysis is crucial for this study’s consideration of labour

relations in the contemporary public service as it not only

identifies important legacies, but examines some of the lessons

that this history may hold today. The National Party of South

Africa used the Africanerisation of the civil service as a

strategy of industrial discipline in the public service. White

civil servants came to depend on the party for jobs, and

patronage functioned as a highly authoritarian instrument of

control. Posel said if white servants ever had any doubt about

this relationship, the Broederbond possessed mechanisms of

surveillance to remind would be obstreperous civil servant

exactly where control really lay.

34

The Public Services Association of South Africa was often

powerless to neutralize this kind of patronage, partly because of

the state’s power but also because the PSA played by the rules,

which were crafted by the state to circumscribe the

organizations’ effectiveness resulting in membership decline.

Posel (2007) found out that this history is relevant today as we

continue to witness such relations in Africa.

35

Barnes and Reid,(1982) in their case study on Governments and

Trade Unions asserted that since 1945 all governments have been

concerned about the consequences of trade union power. They

argued that governments have regarded the wage increases produced

by collective bargaining as inhibiting their attempts to maintain

full employment, stable prices and a satisfactory balance of

payments and increase the rate of economic growth and generally

manage the economy. They found out that when unions have

increased industrial power and political influence, their

membership increased and vice versa. They noted that in Britain

several Acts were created which prohibited civil servants from

belonging to unions in membership with Trade Union Congress (TUC)

after it incited wide spread strikes.

36

During that period of strife, Ramsay MacDonald in Barnes and

Reid,(1981)described the attitude of trade unions representatives

as practically a declaration of war, saying: “ if we yield now to

the TUC we shall never be able to call our bodies or souls or

intelligences our own’. In support of this statement, Stanley

Baldwin in Barnes and Reid,(1981) echoed that it was an attempt

to take over power by a body that has not been elected. He said

if it succeeded it will be the end of parliamentary democracy

which they have taken centuries to build, there can be no

negotiations and it can only end in a complete surrender , he

said in reference to the General Council of the(TUC) calling a

general strike in support of the Miners. These statements reflect

how powerful a trade union can be when it has the full support of

its membership and is apolitical.

37

In similar remarks to trade union power, Sir Edward Grey in

Barnes and Reid,(1981) described the Coal workers strike as the

beginning of a revolution, saying: “ power has passed from the

King to the nobles, from the nobles to the middle class and

through them to the House of Commons and it is now passing from

the House of Commons to the Trade Unions”. When unions resort to

strikes after the collapse of collective bargaining the

government views this action as lawlessness and a threat to its

power. As Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls in Barnes and Reid,

(1981) puts it-‘the power which challenges the rule of law most

is the power of Great British union at present….one of the

biggest problems of the law today is how to restrain the misuse

or abuse of power’. To sum up this thinking, Chuter Ede, the then

Home Secretary (1948) questioned Arthur Deakin, the Secretary

General of Transport and General Workers Union then, during a

dock strike; “I sometimes wonder, Mr Deakin, who governs this

country-the government or the Trade Unions?” ‘That is the

question I would prefer to leave to you to answer’. He said. From

the foregoing views and comments, it is evident that , politics

38

of non- political patronage strengthen the power of unions and

contribute to increased union membership.

In Zimbabwe, the arrival of other political forces ,on the

political arena, which resulted in the establishment of a short

lived Government of National Unity in 2009 between rival

political parties had the involvement of some Trade Unions, who

openly declared their political affiliations quite hopeful of

gaining political power and form a government but failed

dismally. This political patronage undermined the interests and

choices of some union membership which resulted in apathy. Trade

unions need to play a crucial role in protecting labour relations

as a system above political loyalties. In this respect all trade

unions, irrespective of their different histories and traditions,

have a common interest as trade unions in their relations with

their employer.

39

This position is supported by ILO (1994) in its resolutions of

International Labour Conference Clause 132 – 81st Session as

regards the political activities of trade unions movement,

concerning their independence. It remains as valid as it then

was. When trade unions, in accordance with the law and practice

of their respective countries and following a decision of their

members, decided to establish relations with a political party or

to undertake constitutional action as a means towards the

advancement of the economic and social objectives, such political

relations or actions should not be of such a nature as to

compromise the continuance of the trade union movement or its

social and economic functions irrespective of political changes

in the country. Furthermore, in order to guarantee the

independence of the trade union movement, Government should not

attempt to transform trade unions into an instrument for the

pursuance of political aims or interfere with the normal

functions of a union under the pretext of its freely established

relationship with a political party.

40

ILO convention 87, section 134, says that workers’ organizations

have several means available to promote and defend the economic

and social interest of their members within the framework of

collective bargaining. These means, which include meetings,

protest demonstrations or the presentation of petitions are

solely intended to express the discontent of trade unions on

certain matters. The section said means of action which place

stronger pressure on the employer, essentially through strike

action is often the symptom of broader and more diffuse issues,

so that the fact that strike is prohibited by a country’s

legislation or by a judicial order will not prevent it from

occurring if economic and social pressures are sufficiently

strong, Buhlungu (2005).

41

However, in some countries with the common-law system, strikes

are regarded as having the effect of terminating the employment

contract, leaving employers free to replace strikers with new

recruits. In Zimbabwe, the Economic Structural Adjustment

Programme (ESAP) which was undertaken by Government in 1992 as an

economic policy, has had far reaching social, economic and

political consequences.

According to D Nyamukapa and A Sibanda ( 2000), ESAP has seen

inter alia, the erosion of workers’ rights, job insecurity and

unemployment. More often than not, it is the workers who have

suffered the most as the then gloomy picture in the service

reveals. Various legal reforms have been hastily put in place so

as to match the demands of an open market. Some of these reforms

have faced resistance from private sector workers as evidenced by

the 1992 demonstrations by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

(ZCTU) which culminated in the Supreme Court case of in re:

Davison Munhumeso and other (SC22/93).

42

During this period of economic hardships, the public sector

unions never participated or protested - a non action which was

largely viewed as politics of patronage against the background of

labour/ employment uncertainties brought about by ESAP.

2.2 Theoretical Framework

In pursuance of workers’ rights, public sector unions must

structure and align themselves with members from point of

view of:-

- Leadership commitments to the agenda of

collective bargaining, building core-

competence and schemes development.

- A clear vision and values integrating member

satisfaction into the core agenda.

- A clear strategy that aligns the conditions

of service and quality public service

delivery.

- Networking with other key stakeholders

43

Alliance building, international collaboration and the promotion

of the adoption of international labour standards during this

period of pace- faced- change is fundamental, Schmidt V. (as

cited in ILO ‘s Bureau for Workers Activities: Global Union

Research Network-Union Agenda 2010).

On the other hand effective representation at collective

bargaining calls for inclusion of multidisciplinary approach

where relevant competences are pooled together to match the

academic challenges associated with negotiations because once the

bread is lost at negotiations it is difficult to pursue and

recover. Expectedly the Government must focus on developing the

right cultures and employees’ competences, the right framework

for committed employee engagement as ambassadors of the

Government through hiring the right people to achieve strategic

fit. In conclusion, Public Services Unions need to network with

their membership, local, regional and international stakeholders

like SADC and ILO to appraise themselves with emerging practices

and new thinking in the labour market.

Figure 1. Conceptual framework

44

2.3 Related Studies

Studies conducted by T Bramble and Kuhn (2000) revealed that the

transition to democracy in South Africa presented the Congress of

South African Trade Unions (COSATU) with new challenges as well

as opportunities. COSATU has shifted from adherence to the social

movement model of unionism, with an associated approach of

“militant abstentionism” towards the South African state, to a

partnership model, best epitomized in its involvement in the

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Public Service International (PSI)

Government

Civil Service Apex Council

National Joint Negotiations Council(NJNC)

Trade Unions Membership Services and alliances

1. job Security and fair reward systems

2. Health & Safety

6. Legal framework

5. Right to Collective Bargaining

4Right to . Freedom of Association

3. Skills development

Stakeholders Conditions of service

Civil Servants

45

National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC). Such a

transition has not been without its problems for the unions,

however, which have been the subject of studies by, for example,

the National Labour and Economic Development Institute (NALEDI,

1994).

Two questions arise for COSATU at the present political

conjuncture. The first relates to the continuing viability of

corporatism, which has been defined as a political structure

within advanced capitalism which integrates organized socio-

economic producer groups through a system of representation and

co-operative mutual interaction at the leadership level and of

mobilization and social control at the mass level , Panitch ,Leo

& Swartz, Donald, (2003). The question facing COSATU is whether

the corporatist agenda explicit within NEDLAC is compatible with

the programme of economic internationalization currently pursued

by the ANC Government through its GEAR macro- economic framework.

The corporatist project, which was in its heydays in the western

world in the 1960s and 1970s, has become somewhat fragile in

46

recent years. Unsuccessful experiments have included the British

Social Contract between 1974 and 1978 which succeeded in

restraining wages and eroding workplace union organization to the

advantage of business.

47

48

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This section will focus on discussing the methodology that is

deemed appropriate for the execution of this study, that is, the

research design, reveal and elaborates on the various stages that

the researcher will go through before data collection and

describe the process of data collection, presentation and

analysis. The study will employ the qualitative and quantitative

techniques to establish the level of job satisfaction within the

services and the effectiveness of unions in addressing the

concerns of their members. It will also analyze the

appropriateness of the prevailing conditions of service and the

quality of service delivery as well as the impact of political

patronage on union membership.

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3.1 Research Design

A research design is the programme that guides the researcher in

collecting, analyzing and interpreting observations by first

developing hypothesis and then adopting the most appropriate

strategy. It is the overall plan, structure and strategy of

investigation conceived to obtain answers to research questions.

Research design is the methodology, on which data is collected

and analyzed Leedy, P. D. (1997). The researcher will use

quantitative design which is non-experimental, using the survey

research design, which includes the use of questionnaires as data

gathering method. A survey is a systematic attempt to collect

information from a sample of individuals to describe and explain

their beliefs, attitudes, values and behavior and it is used to

describe, explain and explore situations or events. The survey

research design allows data to be standardized and there is easy

comparison. Although much time is spent in designing

questionnaires, survey research gives the researcher control over

the research process.

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The questionnaire will comprise of semi-structured, structured

and closed questions. Questions are chronologically arranged to

address the research questions and objectives. According to

Sudman and Bradburn (1983) the usage of open-ended questionnaires

was meant to give respondents an opportunity to respond to

questions with an open mind. The researcher will immensely

benefit from in-depth responses. However, open-ended questions

are sometimes waffled through and with a lot of irrelevance hence

the research will use closed questions.

A significant proportion of questionnaire will be closed

questions. The respondents are limited to choosing from a set of

alternatives. Closed questions keeps the respondent more focused

to the study and make data analysis and interpretations easier.

They are simpler to administer analyze though they may bring

inaccuracies because of researcher bias, omissions or oversight.

There is also no control on respondents as some influential

people targeted may end up giving their subordinates to take-up

responsibility. There is also a high possibility of

misinterpretation of the questions.

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3.2 Research Population

The research is going to cover some Government ministries’ head

offices in Harare through respective Human Resources managers

down to Provinces and Districts. The target population is 230

000 civil servants and 12 registered civil service unions.

3.3 Sample Size

Table 1 sample size of the study

Organization Population Sample

Civil service 230000 11500

Civil Service

Unions

14 14

Total 230012 11514

Sources: Salary Service Buereau (2014) and Ministry of Public

Service, Labour and Social Welfare (2013)

According to Amin (2004) the sample size greater than 10000 is

obtained as follows :

N= z2pq/e2

Where n= sample size

Z= standard normal deviate set at 1.96 corresponding to 95% cl

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P= proportion of the population with desired characteristics

(unionism)

Q=1-p

E= maximum allowable error set at 0.05

Required: n=?

Solution: n= 1.96(0.5*0.5)

(0.05)2

N= 384

Sample size is 384 respondents

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3.4 Sampling Procedure

In order to select a representative sample, the researcher will

first obtain a sample frame: list of registered civil service

unions and number of civil servants in all ministries. Cluster

sampling will be used to select civil servants in various

ministries and departments at Head offices, provinces and

Districts because the respondents are massive. Cluster sampling

is used when it is not practical or very difficult to obtain a

complete list of all elements in a population because of the

massiveness of the sampling frames. Cluster sampling involves

randomly selecting existing ministries and departments in a

population through simple random, systematic or stratified random

sampling or creating clusters and randomly selecting some from

among them. It also involves randomly selecting individual

elements from randomly selected clusters and interviewing them.

Simple random sample will be used to select civil servants

union’s respondents. These methods will provide each respondent

with the probability of being selected.

3.5 Research Instrument

54

The research instrument which will be used in this study will be

a self devised questionnaire. The questionnaire will be closed

ended in structure where a five point likert’s scale will be

used. The survey questionnaire will be framed on the basis of the

research questions and objectives of the study. The questionnaire

will be divided into two parts: Part 1, will consists of

demographic data related to the respondents’ background, i.e.

age, gender, marital status, designation, highest educational

qualifications. Part 2 will consist of union membership data over

a period of five years.

3.6 Validity and Reliability of Instrument

3.6.1 Validity

Validity determines whether the research truly measures that

which it was intended to measure or how truthful the research

results are. Validity is the most important idea to consider when

preparing an instrument to use. A study with validity lead to

acceptable conclusions with high degree of compliance, Creswell

J.W (2007).

55

3.6.2 Reliability

Reliability refers to the ability of an instrument to collect the

same data each time on repeated observations of the same

phenomenon. The pre-test methods with an interval of two weeks

will be used to establish the reliability of the questionnaire.

The technique will involve administering the same instrument

twice to the same group of subjects using convenience sampling.

3.7 Data Gathering Procedure

56

The researcher will get permission from the Civil Service

Commission to visit various ministries and departments to collect

data. Questionnaires will be administered through drop and pick

method giving respondents two weeks to complete before

collecting. The questionnaires will be sent to provincial offices

of selected union staff for distribution to respondents. Since

the outcome of the research is in their best interest, they are

strategically positioned to administer the questionnaires at that

level following clearly defined instructions and ethics. The

researcher will administer questionnaires at Head offices of

Ministries and unions. The returned questionnaires will be

checked for completeness. Those that are not fully answered will

not be considered for data analysis.

The researcher has chosen surveys by virtue of their high usage

rate in quantitative research for they are robust and compatible

with descriptive research designs. There are also very

compatible with data collection instruments and measurement

scales. In such a survey answers like how, why, what, which

constitute the research questions need to be addressed.

57

Conversely, interviewer- administered surveys contacted on a face

to face are effective in surveys where great deal of

clarification is required. The method only requires the presence

of the interviewer but such face to face enables the researcher

to obtain immediate feedback and gives the interviewer the chance

to probe and explain ambiguities in questionnaires. However, the

cost of administering such could be very expensive and chances

are high that the interviewer may be biased which resultantly

distorts the findings.

3.8 Data Types

Primary and secondary data types will be used. Primary data

which will be obtained through interviews and questionnaires,

will give the research first hand information. On the other hand

secondary data will be used to get the background and historical

information and key statistical information for example, number

of grades, qualifications required per grade, occupation profile

and rate of staff turnover in Government, union membership from

58

the past five years to date and percentage of resignations from

unions. The research will rely on unions’ records, Public

Services Commissions records, and Publications, Salary Services

Bureaus (SSB) and members on the ground and other relevant bodies

to obtain secondary data.

3.9 Data Analysis

Data analysis forms an integral part of any research process in

an endeavor to come up with meaningful findings. The researcher

will carry out the analysis of quantitative data using

statistical package for the social sciences (spss) and hence the

data collection methods will be designed to make analysis as

straightforward as possible. Spss was specifically designed to

analyze data from the social science, but it is now widely used

by a variety of fields and individuals. With spss the researcher

can perform highly complex data manipulation and analysis with

simple straight forward instructions/ commands. SPSS can take

data from almost any type of file and use them to generate

tabulated reports.

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3.10 Limitations

The most observed Official Secrets Act in Government is also

likely to place some limitations on the research among other

limitations as follows:.

Objectivity for responses by various levels of members

cannot be guaranteed despite best efforts by the

researcher. This may depend on members’ experiences

with unions. Bitter members and those with very close

relationships with unions may unconsciously give biased

responses.

The credibility of data obtained from unions/Government

database has been assumed, no effort will be made to

validate the accuracy and reliability of data

collected. The choice of sampling methods for sampling

framework, for variables and population categories

could be viewed as subjective in a way. Different

sampling methods have, each its own advantages and

disadvantages.

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Not a lot was found on previous studies/researches on

the unions in the context of members’ satisfaction.

This limits the drawable inferences to information

related to the researcher’s current efforts only.

3.11 Ethical Consideration

The researcher will seek formal permission from the Civil

Services Commission of Zimbabwe and unions head offices to

conduct a study of this nature from their employees and members.

The researcher will conduct his work in honest and transparent

engagement of all managers, employees and members on all matters

related to this research and all information from respondents

will be treated with confidentiality.

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4. REFERENCESBramble and Kuhn (2000) Trade Unions in Partnership withGovernment: The Australian Experience 1983—1996 andlessons from South Africa Buhlungu S. (2005) Trade Unions and Struggles for Democracyand Freedom in South Africa 1973 ---2003: Khanya College;Education for Liberation ISBN 0-620-33970.5 Congress of South African Trade Unions (2013) The Power ofmembership numbers in Bargaining; The Guardian, 30 June 2013.

Cradden C.(2005) An Independent Researcher in Industrialand Organizational

Sociology - at www.world-psi.org/job-quality

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Creswell, J.W. (2007) Research Design: Qualitative andquantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks.CA: Sage.

Dine P. (2007) State of the Unions: How Labour can Strengthenthe Middle Class, Improve our Economy, and Regain PoliticalInfluence; McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-148844-0

European Commission (2010) Directorate General forEmployment, Social Affairs and Inclusion: IndustrialRelations in Europe.

Hansenne M. and Querenghi (1997) Contract labour: Looking atissues; International Labour Office: Labour EducationNo.106/107. Geneva.

International Labour Conference (ILC) 81st Session (1994), ReportIII (Part 4B).

International Labour Organisation (2006)- (2010)World of Work Magazine No 57 –102 July –SeptemberInternational Labour Organisation (1996) LabourManual ISBN N 92-2-102867-4Leedy,P.D. (1997) Practical Research: planning anddesigh (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Madland, Walter and Bunker (2013) As Union membershiprates decrease, Middle Incomes shrink, AFL-CIO.

Nyamukapa M. and Sibanda A. (2000) – Researcher and Editor –book on Industrial Relations , Structural Adjustment Programme inAfrica. ISBN0-7974-1980-2 Chapter 19 page 246 – The Erosion ofWorker Rights Under the ESAP in Zimbabwe 2000.

Panitch, leo$Swartz, Donald (2003) - From consent tocoercion: The assault on trade unions freedoms, 3rd ed. Ontario:Garamound Press.

Posel D. (2000) – Researcher of National Labour and EconomicDevelopment (NALED) South Africa Book on Public Service LabourRelations in Democratic South Africa Labour Relations andPolitics of Patronage page 41.

63

Public Service International (2005) The Focus: Journal onDecent Work in the Public Service vol #57 of March 2005.

Robbins S. (2009) Organizational Behavior (13th ed.) UpperSaddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Schifferes and Steve (2004) The Trade Unions’ Long Decline:BBC News. Retrieved 16 January 2014

Tore N. (1981) – ILO Manual ISBN 92-2-102867 -4 Trade UnionFunctions and

Services.United Kingdom Study (2013) Industrial Relations Profile:Europa ; Retrieved 16 January 2014Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (2014) Low IndustrialCapacity Utilization and Unemployment; The Herald 27 February2014

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65

APPENDIX I

QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE FUTURE OF CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS IN ZIMBABWE

IDENTIFICATION (Serial Number)

1. Ministry…………………………………………………………………………

2. Department………………………………………………………………………

3. Sex of respondent. 1 female 2male

4. How old are you? Please tick

a. 18-24years b. 25- 29 years c. 30-34years d 35-39 years e. 40-44 years f 45- 49 years g 50 years and above

5. What is your highest level of education completed?

a. Grade 1 to 7b. Form 1 to 6c. Diploma/Certificate after primaryd. Diploma/Certificate after secondarye. Graduate/f. Postgraduate

g. Other, specify…………………………………….

6. What is your current occupation? …………………………….

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7. What is your employment grade? 1. A 2. B 3.C4. D 5. E

8. Length of service

a. 0 – 1 yearsb. 1 – 5 yearsc. 5 – 10 yearsd. Over 10 years

9. Are you a member of any public sector union / Association? 1 yes 2 No

10. If yes in question 9 above tick your association below,(a) ZIMTA(b) ZINA(c) PROTEC(d) ZDA(e) PTUZ(f) GWA(g) TUZ(h) PSA(i) ZMA(j) APTA(k) ZDA(l) ADEX(m) GOA(n) CSEA

11. For how long have you been a member of the association?Years------- months-------

12. What benefits have enjoyed from your associationa. Soft loansb. Collective bargainingc. Educational conferences/Workshops

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d. buying school uniforms on accounte. Safeguarding my rights as an employeef. Nothingg. Other (Specify)……………………………………………………………

13. Do you intend to remain a member of your association forthe next period of your employment? 1 yes 2No

14. If no in 5 above give reasons………………………………………………………

15. If you are not a member of public sector unions orassociation state and or tick the reason(s) why you are not amember

a. Subscriptions too highb. Associations or public sector unions are of no

benefitc. Associations or public sector unions are too weakd. My salary is too lowe. Lack of transparency in operations of trade unionsf. Not aware of any association to joing. Not aware of benefits of being a memberh. Other specify ……………………………………………

16. Have you been a member of any public sector union? 1 yes2 No

17. If ‘yes’ in question 16 above why did you quit?a. Subscriptions too highb. Associations or public sector unions are of no

benefitc. Associations or public sector unions are too weakd. My salary was too low by thene. Lack of transparency in operations of trade unionsf. Not aware of any association or public sector

union to joing. Not aware of benefits of being a memberh. Other specify………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………

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18. Have you ever benefited from your current orprevious associations or public

sector unions/ Association? 1 yes2 No 3 Never seek assistance

19. If ‘Yes’ in q18 , what was the benefit

a. Soft loansb. Collective bargainingc. Educational conferencesd. buying school uniforms on accounte. Safeguarding my rights as an employeef. Nothingg. Other (Specify)……………………………………………………………

20. Have you at one time failed to get assistance from yourassociation or public sector union after seeking for suchassistance? 1 yes 2 No

3 Never seek assistance

21. If ‘no’ to question 20, Give name ofassociations…………………………………

22. What other things do you feel Associations or publicsector unions should do for the benefit of theirmembers………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Opinions and attitudes on the services of Trade unions

22. Please rate how you feel about each statement by ticking inthe appropriate box.

1 Strongly Agree SA 2 Agree A 3 Disagree DIS 4 StronglyDisagree SD

69

3

3

a) Trade unions have deviated from theirpursuance of its constitutional mandate SA A DIS SD b) Government respect the democraticrights of a worker

SA A DIS SD

c) party politics influence thebehaviour and choice of civil servantsparty politics influence unions

SA A DIS SD

d) Unions represent workers effectively SA A DIS SD e) Unions have packages that lureworkers but not address their plight

SA A DIS SD

f) Unions should train workers on theirrights

SA A DIS SD

g) All associations should mergetogether for uniformity of servicesacross the board

SA A DIS SD

Quality job and quality public service assessment

The following questions relate to your knowledge andunderstanding of the following terms.Please tick to show your responses to the questions (multipleresponses allowed) 23. Decent work refers to a. Jobs should be rewarding

b. Jobs that allow for fundamental rights e.g. Collectivebargainingc The right environment for workersd. Work that provides dignity and respect for working peoplee. Same opportunities for both sexesg. Protection of all workers against race, gender, and status

24. Collective bargaining refers to: Voluntary negotiationsbetween employers or employer organisations and workerOrganisations with a view to regulations of terms and conditionsof employment by collective agreements

a. Strongly Agree b. Agree

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c. Disagreed. Strongly Disagree

25. Do you think Government unions have the power they deservefor them to fully do their mandate? 1yes 2 No

26. If ‘No’ to Q25, Give your reasons to supportyour answer ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................

Thank you,

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APPENDIX II: LETTER OF CONSENT

Dear Respondent

I am doing a research project on ‘declining of membership in the

public sector unions of

Zimbabwe as a case. This research is a requirement of the

Masters in Public Sector Management at Africa University.

May you please assist me by completing the following

questionnaire?

Be guaranteed that your responses will be used for academic

purposes only and will be highly confidential. (Please provide

comments where necessary)

Yours faithfully

Jeremiah Bvirindi

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APPENDIX III : QUESTIONNAIRE CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS IN ZIMBABWE

To be administered on trade unions (Workers associations)

IDENTIFICATION (Serial Number)

May you kindly indicate the number of your members for the past

five years in the table below.

Sex 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Females

Males

Total

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Comments

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

74