The National Strategic Organising Workshop will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on 28-29 June. On Day 1 the workshop will last from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm East Africa Time (EAT)/GMT+3. On day 2 the workshop will last from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm EAT/GMT+3. This project is being organised within the framework of the "Organising workers for trade union unity of action, density and quality public services" project implemented by PSI in partnership with Kommunal and Union to Union.

Background

Organizing, or actively recruiting new members into the ranks of organized labor, is the primary way in which unions themselves can increase density to be able to consolidate the power they need to improve workers’ working conditions. However, organizing is also shaped by a variety of other forces entirely beyond the control of the labor movement. The Covid-19 outbreak has introduced a new dimension to work and an impact on the role of unions in a changing work environment. Globally unions are registering a decline in union membership and in some cases a weakening bargaining power.  This workshop aims to explore the different challenges faced by unions in increasing membership density, which strategies are most effective, and which are becoming obsolete. How relevant and important is the use of digital platforms to reach out and recruit more members with the changing demographic of workers?

Within the public sector, what are the prospects for increased membership within the framework of outsourcing, casualization and privatization?  How can unions revitalise themselves to serve the interest of their members ?

See programme below: