What is it about?
New Public Management (NPM) reforms present challenges for trade unions in the public sector. Workers' vulnerability to the effects of these reforms is higher in developing countries. So, how do trade unions respond to these reforms? This article discusses the strategic responses by public sector unions to NPM reforms in Zambia.
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Why is it important?
This article shows that despite the high vulnerability of public workers in developing countries, their unions use strategies that can also be observed in developed countries in order to mitigate the negative consequences of NPM reforms on the public sector. These strategies follow a three-stage process, namely, opposing the reforms, negotiating for favorable reform measures, and shifting from centralized structures to networks.
Perspectives
This article is very insightful as it shows that implementation of externally imposed public sector reforms is difficult. Such reforms face opposition from local stakeholders especially trade unions. As such, public sector reforms require negotiations to be undertaken among the stakeholders and for stakeholders to adjust their strategies in the reform process so as to achieve their goals.
Dr Clever Madimutsa
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Revisiting Trade Unions’ Response to New Public Management: A Case From Zambia, Public Personnel Management, June 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0091026017713230.
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