Organizing in the Public Sector: Challenges for Union Secretaries-as-Organizers
Introduction It gives me great pleasure to be asked to make this presentation. This is because on one hand, organization is at the heart of union building and should be considered crucial by any one in a trade union who appreciates the importance of Ralph Chaplin’s “solidarity forever” in its assertion that “the union makes us strong”. Organizing is at the root of that strength that the union gives. On the other hand, this is the fist time I will be taking a particular union’s secretaries/organizers, apart from my union MHWUN, on a course in organizing. I have had the privilege of being responsible as lead-facilitator of the NLC Harmattan School’s Organizers Course over the years and for taking the “trade union organizing” course in the NLC/Unijos Labour Law and Labour Relations Certificate course before proceeding for further studies two years back. I have also taken several unions (on the PSI platform) and specific unions on trade union issues in general. The specific context of toda