‘The ELSA programme is really unique’

The Ugandan transport union AGTWU has benefited greatly from the ELSA programme from Mondiaal FNV. The general secretary Stephen Abima learned to negotiate more effectively, to better understand financial reports and to start using a digital membership system.

Stephen Abima. Photo: Compass Media

The Ugandan transport union AGTWU has 105,000 members in various sectors. “We have truck drivers, flight attendants as well as informal motorcycle taxi drivers as members,” says general secretary Stephen Abima, adding that it is challenging to keep such diverse members happy. Aside of that, there is also a wide variety of people working at the union. “Some are introvert, others are extrovert,” says the 55-year-old union leader. “During the ELSA programme, I learned how to effectively lead such diverse people.”

Tactful salary negotiations

Negotiating with a variety of employers was also covered extensively during the training programme. “We learned to be more tactful, while taking into account the cultural background and personality of employers,” says the union leader, who regularly meets with international airlines such as Emirates, Turkish Airlines, but also with Chinese truck companies. “During the ELSA programme, we also learned that we should try to find common ground with employers rather than being diametrically opposed, even if they don't really want to negotiate with us.”

The workshops about finance were also very educational for Stephen. “Previously, I didn't really understand our union's financial audit report, when I had to review or even sign it,” the secretary-general says. However, during the ELSA training programme, all participants were instructed to list their union's income, expenses and assets on a balance sheet while they also learned how to read financial reports. “Now I can have in-depth conversations with our accountant. I’m also able to keep an eye on the union finances and can take action when needed.”

More sources of income

The union leaders also learned, during the programme, that it is important for a union to have multiple sources of income, so the union doesn’t solely depend on membership fees. “We bought eleven hectares of land on which we want to start a driving school for truck drivers. Such schools are not yet common in Uganda, so we expect a lot of customers. This will help us to get more income and recruit more members”, the general secretary says.

The transport union has also started working with a digital information system. “A trade union leader from Tanzania visited a workshop of the ELSA programme to tell us about their management information system. Then Mondiaal FNV helped us with the purchase of equipment. Thanks to the system, we can now make official membership cards,” the secretary-general explains. “Our members seem to attach great importance to this. The card makes them feel like they belong to something, they can identify themselves with it when they go to court because of an employment dispute and they even use it as some kind of ID.”

Feeling the owner of the programme

Above all, Stephen was very pleased about the training methodology of the ELSA programme. “Trainings for union leaders in Uganda are often very theoretical and boring”, he tells. “This programme, however, was very interactive, whereby you continuously had to do all kind of assignments, you were asked to propose topics and whereby all lessons were linked to the reality on the floor,” the union leader tells, who – as a result - felt as if he was one of the owners of the training programme. “This made the ELSA programme really unique.”