Factors influencing performance of trade unions: a case of Kenya National Union of Teachers Meru Central Branch, Meru County

Abstract

This study was investigating the factors that influence the performance of trade unions a case of KNUT Meru Central Branch. The aim of this research was to-fill a gap that had been created from past research in that no research had looked to the factors that influence performance of trade unions, focusing on KNUT in the Meru central branch. The objectives of this study were to establish the influence of administrative structure of trade unions on the performance of trade unions, to examine the influence of members' attitude on performance of trade unions, to explore the influence of the level of empowerment of members on performance of trade unions and to investigate the influence of the level of union financing on performance of trade unions.

The study also looked through an overview of the moderating and the extraneous variables which were government policy and employers' attitude respectively. The research focused on one trade union, KNUT, which is one of the largest and influential trade unions in Kenya, and the study narrowed down to Meru Central branch. The Meru Central region of KNUT is headquartered in Meru Town and it covers four districts namely; Buuri District, Imenti South District, lmenti Central District and Imenti North District. The study used a descriptive survey design so as to describe the state of affairs C!:.~ they existed. The study targeted a population of 3000 members of KNUT Meru Central and 10 officials; it applied stratified random sampling to select a sample and therefore used a sample of 119 members and 9 officials.

The research instrument that was used was the questionnaire that was administered on both the members and the officials. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present the findings of the study in tabular forms. The findings of the study were: Administrative structure of trade unions, the members' attitude towards the union, the level of members' empowerment and the level of union financings are some of the factors that positively influence the performance of trade unions. The study recommends that unions need to consider out-of-bargain activities they offer to their members, recruitment of all posts in the union should be advertised externally and finally, the unions' constitution should be made available to all members. The study is useful to KNUT officials and COTU officials in planning and policy formulation of KNUT and other trade unions in the country. It is also useful to the Kenyan government to gauge on the level of support needed for trade unions and also ito the workers and employers who are members of different trade unions in the country.