Strengthening the Trade Union Movement in Mozambique, OTM-CS - 2010-2014, 2015-2018

Background

LO-Norway has been engaged with OTM-CS since 1988. The cooperation has been based on strengthening administrative capacity, recruitment, training in basic trade union rights, gender and organizing young workers.

OTM has around143.000 members in 16 affiliated unions and is the most representative labour federation in the country. OTM organizes 23 percent of all formal workers in all sectors of the economy.

Purpose/objective

The basis of the evaluation is to assess the relevance, efficiency, progress vs. results, and sustainability of the project cooperation. Furthermore to consider OTM's external impact, and internal governance structures. Emphasis was given to gender and youth issues. Furthermore to provide recommendations for future cooperation and partnership.

Methodology

The evaluation is based on a three stage process: (i) documentation, (ii) field visits, consultations, questionnaire and draft reporting, (iii) and final report.

Key findings: OTM has strong influence on the government through their decision-making process and lobbying. It has contributed to several increases in the minimum wage. OTM has provided amendments to the vocational training act, labour act, employment policy, social security act, Hiv/Aids regulations etc.

OTM has a democratic, but heavy organizational structure. In the last congresses decisions have been made to make the organization more operational. Last Congress decided that the Secretary General should be elected by Congress. Elected leaders have to step down after two periods and they are not allowed to have both a trade union position and a political position at the same time.

There has been an increase in women in leadership. There are now 33 percent women in the General Council, 40 percent of the provincial secretaries are women. However, only 3 of the general secretaries of the affiliated unions are women. Only one out of four people in top leadership of OTM is a woman.

In local enterprises 5.440 collective agreements have been signed. The goal of having collective agreement in at least 30 percent of the 15.234 enterprises have been reached.

63 trainers in prevention of Hiv/Aids have been trained. More than 1500 shop stewards (trade union leaders on enterprise level) have been educated. 686 enterprises have been actively involved in fighting Hiv/Aids at the workplace. 11 of the 16 unions have a policy on Hiv/Aids.

OTM still depend on financial support from donors. LO finance about 50 percent of the operating costs. The unions only contribute with 3,5 percent in dues to OTM. OTM spends 60 percent of their funds on the unions in the provinces. Only 57 percent of the members pay dues. However, there has been an increase of payment of membership dues. The goal of 10 percent has been reached. The average increase in membership has been 3,6 percent.

Recommendations

The core support to adminstration should be phased out. The support should concentrate on activities. However, a focus should be on the sustainability of the organisation. A possible way of doing this is to reduce the level of funds to administration gradually over a period, from 50 percent to 0.

OTM should propose a new distribution of the trade union dues for the OTM-CS structure composed by 3,5 percent for the headquarter, 2,5 percent for the provincial councils and 94 percent for the national unions. The economic operation of OTM`s properties should be reviewed. A reliable electronic membership database should be established. The staff reform should be completed as soon as possible. The hiring of an advisor on economic and social issues should be considered.

OTM should try to attract new affiliates and approach the workers from the extractive industries and the professional independent unions (teachers, journalists and liberal professionals). A membership recruitment campaign should be carried out, especially in the public sector where the membership potential is very high.

OTM should lobby the government for ratification of ILO-conventions 151 and 154 to promote organising and collective bargaining in public sector. OTM should continue working with merger of unions, make a child labor policy, carry out a national campaign to increase the number of collective agreements and form more unions on enterprise level. The staff of OTM should further be trained in resultbased management.

Comments from the organisation

The evaluation report has been translated to Portuguese. We are still awaiting the comments of OTM-CS.