Trade union members' perception of the effectiveness of and satisfaction with their unions in municipalities in Gauteng South
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Date
2021-10
Authors
Mbuli, Sibongile
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Vaal University of Technology
Abstract
For decades, trade unions have been entrusted to represent and protect the interest of employees in a workplace. They have been the voices of employees throughout the globe. Throughout the years, they have successfully built strong relationships with their union members and obtained recognition in many organisations. Consequently, trade unions have negotiated better working conditions and better wages for their members. However, in recent years there have been numerous reports of membership decline in trade unions globally. The primary objective of the study is to determine trade union members’ perceptions of the effectiveness of and satisfaction with their trade unions in municipalities in Gauteng south.
To achieve the objective of this study, a quantitative research approach was used to examine the relationship between union effectiveness and member satisfaction among 330 union members. Furthermore, means and factor analysis were performed to determine the level of union effectiveness and member satisfaction among union members and to establish the underlying factors of the constructs, respectively. Additionally, correlation analysis was conducted to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between factors. Finally, regression analysis was performed to confirm the predictive relationship between factors.
The findings of this study showed a positive correlation between union effectiveness and the four factors of member satisfaction, namely, conditions of employment, representation of union members, education and training and member service. The positive relationship between union effectiveness and member satisfaction indicates that union effectiveness has a huge impact on member satisfaction. A predictive relationship was observed between three factors of member satisfaction, namely, conditions of employment, representation of union members, and education and training; however, no predictive relationship was observed between union effectiveness and member satisfaction. Based on the findings it was recommended that trade unions ought to do more for their members and to show that they have their best interests at heart. According to the findings, union members currently may feel neglected and not accurately represented by their trade unions.
Description
M. Tech. (Department of Labour Relations Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology.
Keywords
Trade union, Union effectiveness, Member satisfaction, Union members