Chan Wai-fong of Isis International talked with Kathini Maloba, General Secretary of the Pan African Women Trade Unions about women workers and trade unions in Kenya and Africa.

What brought about the unionisation of women workers in Kenya and Africa?

Well, it is a rather old phenomenon. The trade union movement started way back in 1920s in Africa, and in 1930s in Kenya and grew steadily since then. Just like anywhere else, people get together to deal with the common problems they have had at work place. Here in Kenya, the unions were organised during colonial times when working conditions were very bad. In cooperation with workers in Europe, especially in England and also in USA, workers organised themselves. They received financial assistance, moral supports and training from brothers and sisters in these western countries. The international trade union solidarity has played a major role in getting trade unions in Kenya to get off the ground.

What were the major activities of the unions then? What was its role in the National Liberation Movement in Kenya and in some African countries?

All the time, trade unions have played a major role in liberation struggles in Africa. In Kenya especially, the political parties were born out of trade union organisers. When those political leaders were arrested by the colonial government, the trade union organisers took over the responsibility of organising and challenging the colonial government. Most of the people elected and became members of the parliament after liberation were trade unionists because they have been very active.

What has been the women's participation in the trade unions?

Here women started joining trade unions around the 50s. This was so because women didn't started working at the same time as men. The colonial government discouraged women from having education and taking up offices. We have women at the workplace in the early 40s. To quote some figure, according to available statistical information, the women share in wage employment has increased from 15.9% in 1975 up to about 18.7% in 1985. In 1981, a study showed that approximately 59% of the total number of female wage employees are unionisable while that of male wage employees is approximately 65%.

Women joint unions where they are working. This is the situation even for today. Though there are more woman in the labor market now, we don't have many women joining the union. They are joining at a very gradual pace. And above all, since women joined the unions later than men, they found the structures suggesting men to be the leaders in the decision-making positions. At this moment, we have four women officers, two trustees and two treasury in the national office. In the branch office, we have more women. They are all not in the deciding positions but we will gradually take them. Even now we are still the minorities in the trade unions movement.

How do you see the situation can be changed?

We have gone a step beyond. We decided to get all women from all unions in the country (Kenya) and all over the continent to have women's committees within their labour unions. The very first objectives of these committees is to get as many women as possible into the unions so they can have the opportunities to get themselves educated about their rights at workplace. Then they will know when to say no and what to ask for. Here in Kenya we have a national committee, the Action Committee of Kenya Trade Union Women. It is only for women. They come from different unions affiliated to the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, COTU. We all agree that we should recruit as many women as possible into the unions and that we have to pay more attention to the education for women trade unionists. The organisation of women in the labour movement as a separate group is important because we believe, in the transition periods, when women have to be fully integrated in the labour movement, we have to have our own special programme. If we don't do them we will never succeed.

How big is the Action Committee now and how far can you reach in Kenya?

We have 15 members in the Action Committee. But we have about 3,000 members, who come to our meetings and seminars. This committee of 15 are representatives from the seven provinces in Kenya. In every province we have again a small committee of seven. They have their own activities within their provinces. We will be visiting the provinces soon but every three months we hear reports from the provinces. I would say that we have reached the whole country.

How about other African countries?

We have the Pan African Women Trade Unions coordinating committee. It was formed in August, 1984. We realise that there is the need of a coordinating committee so that African woman all over the continent can inform each other the kinds of problems they have, the industries and the investments there exist through a newsletter. Right now we have 41 African countries working together. By sharing our experiences, the way we handle our problems, we will know better how to deal with particular issues. We have met a lot of women from other countries, we realise that there are a lot of problems in common especially the TNCs, the way they handled workers in the Philippines, in Thailand etc. We feel that there is need, not only to communicate with sisters in Africa, but also sisters in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

What kinds of labour unions do you have? From what industries? And is the TNCs proliferative in Africa?

Most of the unions are in the agricultural and food processing industries. Majority of them are foreign investment. They are operating in the same way as they operate anywhere else, in Asia, in Latin America etc. They exploit the workers everywhere they go. Though we don't have much of the TNCs here, they are coming. It is still a new phenomena in Africa.

In most of the countries, workers usually are not consulted before any TNCs investment is done. They are never consulted on the chemicals used. Though the government may have been informed, the employers will not take any initiatives to explain to the workers the dangers involved or even initiated any good working conditions until the union comes in to negotiate. We have consultative committees or workers committees with the government but they seldom discuss substantial matters. They will just tell us that there is nothing to do with the trade unions.

How active is the labour movement here in Africa?

We've quite a number of labour actions in different African countries. In Kenya, we have called a general strike because of the price increase of essential commodities. There was a general strike recently in Sudan where the government has been brought down.

Is it legal to call strikes or manifestations? 

It is. The only thing to do is to give advance notice to the government. In a particular industry where you don't have to call a general strike, the union only have to give twenty one days notice. However, sometimes we have problems even with a notice. The employers call the police and before the police know exactly what's happening, they will have already beaten and arrested some people etc. The government will always be on the side of the police to avoid condemnation from the workers who in most cases are the ones who suffer.

What problems do you have in organising women in unions?

The main problems we have are the dual responsibilities of women. Working women have to go home early to continue their home responsibilities. The other problems is child-care. Women have children below the age of seven or under will always feel that they cannot commit a lot of time to trade unions. They join alright, but they will not be active. They just pay the duties. They know that unions are beneficial to them. The only thing is that they find it difficult to be active.

How can this be overcome?

Well, I think education could help. Besides, there is the family planning which will reduce the load of child-care for women. Once their responsibilities are reduced at home then we will see a lot of them joining the unions. It's a difficult task.

How do you see the roles of the women's trade unions in the whole labour movement?

Women to some extent are selfless people. Women have caused social changes in many countries. Once women are educated on an issue, they understand it and decide to take an action on it, then they will go ahead and do it. Women are usually at the forefront of any strike. They don't fear no guns no bullets. They have decided that there is a need for changes whatever the costs. The other thing is that for any organisation where the leadership composes of only one sex, it will be very vulnerable for corruption. A mixed committee proposes a check system on how the committee members are behaving. I can see women causing a complete change in the labour movement when they take up leadership positions.

Would you like to see women trade unions to be independent or be integrated union movement as a whole?

Our aim is to get women's trade unions integrated because I don't preach at any one time a women's union organisation. The committee that we have is to motivate women to understand the labour movement as a whole and take up offices and leadership position in the unions. That is the objective of the Kenya women Trade Union Action Committee. In the initial stage or in the transitional period, we will have this body for women alone. Its task is to motivate them to talk, to discuss their issues, to assert their rights and ultimately to take up positions in their unions.

Our aim is to get women's trade unions integrated because I don't preach at any one time a women's union organisation. The committee that we have is to motivate women to understand the labour movement as a whole and take up offices and leadership poshion in the unions. That is the objective of the Kenya women Trade Union Action Committee. In the initial stage or in the transitional period, we will have this body for women alone. Its task is to motivate them to talk, to discuss their issues, to assert their rights and ultimately to take up positions in their unions.

Experiences tell us that an independent and separate women's struggle is very important. There were many cases in which women were being driven back to the kitchens they fought hand in hand with their male counterparts in class struggles and liberation movement.

I see very clearly that in Nambia for example, where they are struggling for independent, and in South Africa where people are fighting for their freedom, women will have to go back home and take care of the children, while the men will grap the top positions once they are free. Men have their own formula of allocating responsibilities. They tend to leave us behind. I don't agree with the idea of always having women's organisations separated. The reason is this if we keep the body of women separated and never integrate in the mainstream movement, we will always be kept aside. When we feel that we have equal responsibilities in the unions, and there are women running for leadership position, then there is no need for a separate women's committee because now women have stood up on equal footings as men. But I don't see it happen tomorrow. It will take some time because we are fighting attitudes which take a long time to get changed.

What future plans do you have?

Once we have the education taken off, we want to link women in the industry with those in the rural areas. We think of organising women workers in the rural areas into cooperative societies that are properly managed. The other plan we have is organising day-care centres so that women are more free to attend other activities. We have visioned the building of communal centres in the rural areas or ball hall with cooking stoves together so that women tan discuss issues that affect them collectively and generally when they cook and carry the food home.