Influence of teachers’ trade unions on teachers’ satisfaction in addressing working conditions in public secondary schools in Embu county, Kenya

Abstract

Teachers’ good working conditions help in enhancing service delivery and hence good performance. The study focused on the influence of trade unions membership on teachers’ and principals’ satisfaction with the working condition in Embu County, Kenya. Embu County has consistently performed posted poor results in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) The study employed a cross-sectional survey in design and implementation. A total of 203 teachers and 21 principals participated in the survey. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean, standard error of the mean, and simple linear regression. The study established that teachers (3.94) and principals (3.48) were satisfied trade unions efforts in bargaining for teachers’good working conditions. There was a positive association between union membership and teachers' and principals' satisfaction with working conditions. The study found a significant association between trade union membership and teachers' working conditions satisfaction. The findings implied that union membership among teachers and principals of teachers would significantly improve their satisfaction. The study recommended that trade unions should keep up their excellent work of agitating for better working conditions for their members and that ministry of education to join trade unions to campaign for more teachers to register with trade unions.