Leadership and Followership in the Context of Trade Unionism

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-2807-5.ch006 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 135-160

Author(s):

Adekunle Theophilius Tinuoye ◽

Sylvanus Simon Adamade ◽

Victor Ikechukwu Ogharanduku

Keyword(s):

Trade Union ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Union Leadership ◽

Union Leaders

Trade union leadership and followership are complimentary and symbiotic. Pragmatic followership serves to engender effective trade union leadership. Union leaders are expected to work with and stand by their members in order to attain union mandates. Union ethos demands that leaders must place the interest and welfare of workers as their most paramount goal and work assiduously towards satisfying them. Union members must consider the antecedents and pedigree of aspirants and ensure that only unionists with track records of tenaciously and selflessly championing the union's cause should be elected as leaders. Through leadership by example, trust, integrity, and candor, union leaders can bring about positive changes to both workers and their union. Finally, the authors called on union leaders to be alive to their responsibilities and demonstrate ethical and servant forms of leadership in order to cope with the challenges of giving vent to the aspirations of their members.

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The depletion of narrative resources in the Kenyan trade union movement.

Journal of Governance and Regulation ◽

10.22495/jgr_v4_i4_c6_p5 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 704-713

Author(s):

Collins Ogutu Miruka

Keyword(s):

Trade Unions ◽

Qualitative Assessment ◽

Trade Union Movement ◽

Labour Movement ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Union Movement ◽

Union Leadership ◽

Union Leaders ◽

Labour Legislation ◽

Depth Interviews

We discuss in this study the problems of mobilization and effectiveness faced by Kenyan trade unions. In a country with high levels of unemployment and weak labour legislation, it is imperative that the labour movement devise ways of remaining relevant and effective. We combine in-depth interviews with a qualitative assessment of secondary documents on trade unions in Kenya. We do this by looking at topics addressed, characterizations of unions as well as major actors such as union leaders, workers, and political leaders. We argue that labour leaders need to enrich their vocabularies of persuasion in order to neutralize the current discourses around trade unionism in Kenya. Such an approach would enable the union leadership to acquire new repertoires of action to enhance their capacity to mobilize.

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Challenges of Trade Union Movement in India

Global Journal of Enterprise Information System ◽

10.18311/gjeis/2016/7656 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 20

Author(s):

Ravinder Jit

Keyword(s):

Trade Union ◽

Trade Unions ◽

Financial Stability ◽

Physical Work ◽

Full Time ◽

Trade Union Movement ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Union Movement ◽

Union Leaders ◽

The Face

The trade union movement in India is facing many challenges. The finances of the unions are generally in a bad shape. Multiplicity of unions and inter-union rivalry makes it difficult to take a constructive approach to problems and issues. Heterogeneity of membership renders the unions unstable, weak, fragmented, uncoordinated and amorphous. Besides this, majority of unions are managed by professional politicians and lawyers who have no experience of physical work and no commitment to the organization. These outside leaders may give precedence to their personal interests and prejudices than welfare of the workers. Development of internal leadership is also not encouraged by unscrupulous politicians in the garb of union leaders. Keeping in mind all these challenges various scholars and practitioners have suggested certain measures to strengthen trade union movement in India. Developing internal leadership, presenting a united labor front for bargaining, ensuring financial stability of unions, having paid full time union office bearers, extending the boundaries of trade unions to unorganized sector and ensuring strong central legislation for recognition of representative union are some of the measures that can change the face of trade unionism in India.

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The Role of the Trade Union Leader in India

Human Organization ◽

10.17730/humo.33.2.ak5643n20w7g22x3 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 163-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

E. Ramaswamy

Keyword(s):

Trade Union ◽

Trade Unions ◽

South India ◽

Union Leader ◽

Primary Role ◽

Textile Workers ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Political Interests ◽

Union Leaders

Key offices in most trade unions in India are held by "outsiders" who do not belong to the trade or industry from which the members are drawn. The outsiders have marked political loyalties, with the result that almost every trade union in the country owes explicit allegiance to a political party. The partisan leanings of the outsiders have often been taken to mean that their primary role as union leaders is to seize on every available opportunity for making political gain. This paper, based on an intensive study of a textile workers' union in South India, contends that the outsiders, notwithstanding their partisan leanings, may be vitally involved in furthering their members' job-related interests. The purely trade union activities of the outsiders are divided into three broad categories. The nature of the grievance, the power wielded by the outsiders in its settlement, the pressures they can bring on the management, and the role they play differ significantly among these three categories. But in none of these is any attempt made by the outsiders to bring in their political interests. Imparting an ideological color to industrial disputes is neither necessary nor useful. While the outsiders do use their union base to further their political interests, they keep trade unionism and politics as discrete spheres of activity.

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The challenges and future of trade unionism in Algeria: a lost cause?

Employee Relations ◽

10.1108/er-11-2014-0135 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 351-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amira Chelghoum ◽

Sachiko Takeda ◽

Barbara Wilczek ◽

Fabian Homberg

Keyword(s):

Trade Union ◽

Lost Cause ◽

Employee Relations ◽

Employment Relations ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Union Leaders ◽

The Government ◽

The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the realities of Algerian employee relations and the challenges autonomous trade unionists encounter in their activities, which are normally far removed from the eyes of the international community. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Algerian autonomous trade union leaders, union members and non-members. The collected data were analysed using a thematic approach. Findings – The interview results brought into relief the challenges of Algerian trade unionism with the following four themes: first, scepticism towards the only government-affiliated trade union in Algeria; second, the relationship between autonomous unions and the government; third, strike actions and intimidation/harassment; and fourth, views of non-trade unionists and the future of Algerian trade unionism. Research limitations/implications – The sensitivity of the topic and widespread fear limited the number of interviewees and the length of interviews. Social implications – This paper provides recent empirical evidence reflecting the contemporary nature of employee relations in Algeria, and its discussions consider the prerequisites for a more effective protection of workers’ rights in Algeria. Originality/value – This study addresses the lack of examination of trade union activities in North Africa and in Algeria in particular. Whereas studies on employment relations in emerging economies have been conducted mainly at the macro level, this study makes important contributions by providing a first micro-level insight into the realities of trade unionism in Algeria through giving voice to those who struggle daily to protect workers’ rights.

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Artist Advocates

Beyond the Beat ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691160733.003.0006 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel B. Cornfield

Keyword(s):

Mass Distribution ◽

Trade Union ◽

Recording Industry ◽

Music Production ◽

Recorded Music ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Union Leaders ◽

Production And Distribution ◽

Union Activists ◽

New Generation

This chapter looks at how a new generation of Nashville arts trade unionists is reinventing arts trade unionism for the contemporary generation of enterprising artists. With the advent of recorded music, corporate major labels, and mass distribution through radio airplay by the early 1950s, the chapter shows how Nashville AFM Local 257 had been transformed into a union representing both live and recording musicians and artists by a generation of arts trade union leaders who act as “corporate-era arts union activists.” Throughout the corporate era, Local 257 has developed and enforced master contracts with corporate signatories that apply especially to the major-label recording industry. The new generation of arts trade union leaders—the “entrepreneurial-era union activists”—are endeavoring to revitalize arts trade unionism as the Nashville music scene transitions from the corporate era of major labels into an era of indie entrepreneurial music production and distribution.

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Trade Unionism, Social Justice, and Religious Discrimination in Northern Ireland

ILR Review ◽

10.1177/001979399304600303 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 480-498 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Terry Cradden

Keyword(s):

Northern Ireland ◽

Civil Rights ◽

Trade Union ◽

Religious Discrimination ◽

Trade Union Movement ◽

Trade Unionism ◽

Union Movement ◽

Union Leaders ◽

Discrimination In Employment ◽

The 1960S

This article examines the actions of trade union leaders in response to religious discrimination in employment in Northern Ireland, and their influence on British Government policy-making on this question. The main finding is that despite the risk of alienating many members, the trade union movement persisted in seeking radical remedies for discrimination during the 1980s, and was influential in the shaping of anti-discrimination legislation enacted in 1989. The author finds points of similarity between this history and the AFL-CIO leadership's civil rights stand in the 1960s, and sees these examples as evidence that egalitarian values have played, and continue to play, an important role in shaping union purpose and action.

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‘Women take care and men take charge’: The case of leadership and gender in the Public and Commercial Services Union

Economic and Industrial Democracy ◽

10.1177/0143831x20943682 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0143831X2094368

Author(s):

Julie Prowse ◽

Peter Prowse ◽

Robert Perrett

Keyword(s):

Leadership Style ◽

Trade Unions ◽

Union Leader ◽

The Public ◽

Union Leadership ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Union Leaders ◽

And Gender ◽

Survey Responses

This article presents the findings of a case study that aimed to understand the specific leadership styles that are valued by women and men lay representatives in the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and to determine the gendered implications for increasing women’s leadership and representation in trade unions. Survey responses from PCS lay representatives (reps) show the majority of women and men agreed that the leadership style they value, and that makes a good union leader, is post-heroic (communal) leadership. This approach is associated with leadership characteristics such as being helpful, sensitive and kind and are generally practised by women. This contrasts with male union leaders who are associated with a traditional, heroic (agentic) leadership style characterised by confidence, self-reliance and decisiveness. Although some differences exist that highlight gender issues, both women and men lay reps have positive attitudes towards increasing women’s representation and participation in union leadership.

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Labour Union Leadership and Gender Equality Challenges: Evidence from Kenya’s Electrical Traders and Allied Workers Union

African Journal of Employee Relations (Formerly South African Journal of Labour Relations) ◽

10.25159/2664-3731/7249 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

Author(s):

Evans Okumu ◽

Ernest N. Nadome ◽

Mike K. Chepkong’a

Keyword(s):

Trade Union ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Sampling Procedure ◽

Structural Constraints ◽

Exploratory Research ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Trade Union Movement ◽

Union Leadership ◽

And Gender ◽

Using Data

The research investigates the challenges female union members encounter while seeking or assuming labour union leadership positions. Using evidence from Kenya’s Electrical Traders and Allied Workers Union, this article aims at identifying sociocultural barriers, role conflict, and structural constraints on women in relation to gender inequality. The article is based on exploratory research using data comprising both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from interviewing 63 female respondents who were identified using a non-probability sampling procedure referred to as snowballing. The research revealed a significant proportion of the respondents observed that patriarchal union structures favour men, but hinder women from accessing leadership positions. Most viewed the trade union leadership roles as demanding and burdensome and therefore incompatible with their culturally designated family roles. Institutionalised sexism in the trade union discouraged women from assuming leadership positions, since they are unlikely to penetrate the male-dominated informal leadership lobbies and networks in the trade union. The study concludes that the union, and by extension the umbrella trade union movement, should adopt and implement affirmative actions that are focused to maintain women in union leadership structures.

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