Weakening the Trade Union Movement in Zambia
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba wrote;
The promotion of proliferation of Trade Unions is a liberal concept promoted by Governments to weaken the trade union movement and dissipate the voice of workers.
This is called “Craft Unionism”, a concept that promotes a model of trade unionism in which workers are organised based on the particular craft or trade in which they work.
The Craft Unionism benefits employers and big businesses than it does the employees or workers.
It is different from “Industrial Unionism”, where all the Workers in one industry form one big union of that industry.
Instead of being split up into a lot of separate units, with divided and often conflicting interests, they strengthen and unite their forces in one mighty and irresistible combination.
Lets take the trade unions in the education sector alone, where over eight (8) new trade unions have been registered to represent teachers since 2021! This is part of an earlier longer list of trade unions that have been introduced in the sector sinve 1991.
LIST OF UNIONS IN EDUCATION SINCE INDEPENDENCE
1. Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) registered in 1953 – Northern Rhodesia/UNIP regime.
2. Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) registered in 1997 – MMD regime.
3. Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) registered on 10/12/1999 – MMD regime.
4. Professional Teachers Union of Zambia (PROTUZ) registered on 11/12/2011 – PF regime.
5. National Union of Private and Public Educators in Zambia (NUPPEZ) registered on 14/03/2017 – PF regime.
6. United Teachers Union of Zambia (UNITUZ) registered on 24/03/2020 – PF regime.
7. Special Educators Teachers Union (SPETUZ) registered on 10/02/2021 – PF regime.
8. Professional Educators Union of Zambia (PEUZ) registered on 28/07/2022 – UPND regime.
9. Amalgamation Rural Teachers Union of Zambia (ARTUZ) registered on 28/07/2023 – UPND regime.
10. Zambia Teachers Union (ZATU) registered on 22/08/2023 – UPND regime.
11. 12. National Teachers Union of Zambia (NATUZ) registered on 23/10/2023 – UPND regime.
12. National Educators Union of Zambia (NEUZ) registered on 17/11/2023 – UPND regime.
13. Dynamic Teachers Union of Zambia (DTUZ) registered on 13/11/24 – UPND regime.
14. Zambia Union of Professional Educators (ZUPE) registered on 13/11/24 – UPND regime.
15. Zambia Union of Teacher Empowerment (ZUTE) registered on 13/11/24 – UPND regime
Summary of Zambia’s regimes registration of unions is as follows;
1. Northern Rhodesia/UNIP regime 1 union in 27 years
2. MMD regime 2 unions in 20 years
3. PF regime 4 unions in 10 years
4. UPND regime 8 unions in 3 years
Even mother bodies have not been spared with rhe Zambia Congress of Trade Unions in Zambia (ZCTU) faces the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Zambia.