Assessing the role of trade unions in improving employee working conditions: a case of Tanzania union of industrial and commercial workers (TUICO)
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Date
2012
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This study assessed the role of trade unions on improving employee working conditions at workplaces whereby TUICO being a case. The study has assessed the extent of the TUICO on improving employee working conditions, assessed service quality provided by the TUICO on improving employee working conditions. The study as well identified the strategies employed by the TUICO on improving employee working conditions. To achieve these objectives, cross sectional survey with questionnaires, documentary review and interviews were employed. The study has revealed a number of roles and responsibilities played by the TUICO on improving employee working conditions. These include; safeguarding workers against all sorts of exploitation by the employers, union leaders and political parties, protecting workers from the atrocities and unfair practices of the management, ensuring healthy, safe and conducive working and adequate conditions of work, exerting pressure for enhancement of rewards associated with the work only after making a realistic assessment of its practical implications. Moreover, TUICO has been providing quality services to customers on improving employee working conditions, TUICO has been ensuring desirable standard of living by providing various types of social services such as health, housing, educational, recreational and cooperative, securing employees for fair wages, safeguarding employee’s security of tenure and improve their conditions of service, enlarging opportunities for promotion and training for employees, improving working and living conditions, provision of educational, cultural and recreational facilities, cooperating in and facilitating technological advance by broadening employees understanding on its underlying issues, and just to mention few. Furthermore, TUICO has been employing a number of strategies in order to improve employee working conditions. These include; implementation of various policies such as HIV/AIDS and OHS, strengthening workers education on issues of labour laws, educating new employees on the importance of joining trade unions, and cooperating with other employers in order to implement collective bargaining. From the findings of this study, it is recommended that policy makers, Government, and all other stakeholders should fully participate in improving employee working conditions for the betterment of the society and the country as the whole. They should take into account the socio-economic changes which affects employee working conditions at workplaces. Lastly, they should embrace a set of scenarios such as; keep on negotiating for the better salaries and allowances, raising public awareness on services offered by the TUICO as the trade union and the importance of joining trade unions among the youth and new employees.
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Available in print form
Keywords
Trade union, Employees, TUICO
Citation
Gwamaka, N (2012) Assessing the role of trade unions in improving employee working conditions: a case of Tanzania union of industrial and commercial workers (TUICO), Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. (Available at http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx)