By Gedion Zelalem
Introduction
At a time when Ethiopian workers are grappling with an unprecedented rise in the cost of living, stagnant wages, and eroded purchasing power, the role of labor unions and professional associations should be paramount. Yet, the conspicuous silence of two of the country’s largest labor organizations—the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) and the Ethiopian Teachers Association (ETA)—in the face of these socio-economic hardships is both frustrating and deeply troubling. Their inaction stands in stark contrast to the courage shown by the leadership of Ethiopia’s health professional associations, who recently organized a nationwide strike following due process. This contrast raises pressing questions about the leadership, functionality, and autonomy of Ethiopia’s labor institutions and invites an urgent discourse on the rights of workers, the legitimacy of representation, and the broader political economy of labor in Ethiopia.
I. Conceptual Framework: Labor Unions and the Right to Representation
Labor unions and professional associations are not just organizational structures; they are vital instruments of social justice and economic equity. Classical labor theorists like Karl Marx and modern analysts like Richard Freeman and John T. Dunlop have long emphasized the union’s role in balancing the power asymmetry between employers and employees and defending the socio-economic rights of workers.
Trade unionism is grounded in the right to collective bargaining, protected in international frameworks such as the ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98. A union’s silence in the face of worker distress constitutes not only a moral failure but also a fundamental breach of its mandate to represent and advocate.
II. A Stark Contrast: Health Professionals’ Activism vs CETU and ETA’s Silence
The recent mobilization by the leadership of Ethiopia’s health professional associations exemplifies the responsible exercise of collective action. These leaders, after exhausting formal channels, resorted to strike action—a constitutionally guaranteed right—highlighting the plight of health workers facing rising living costs on stagnant wages.
Meanwhile, CETU and ETA, which collectively represent over 1.5 million workers—half a million in industry and over a million teachers—have remained inert. This passivity is especially puzzling given that teachers and industrial workers earn significantly less than health professionals, despite facing the same inflationary pressures. According to recent estimates, many teachers and industrial employees now earn less than is needed to meet basic subsistence levels.
III. Diagnosing Silence: Structural, Political, and Institutional Factors
The inaction of CETU and ETA cannot be explained by apathy alone. Several deeper structural and political constraints may be at play:
- Lack of Democratic Space: Ethiopia’s shrinking civic space, especially following the imposition of restrictive proclamations and states of emergency, has led to widespread self-censorship. Union leaders may fear state retaliation for speaking out, even when the issues are apolitical and centered on labor rights.
- Co-optation or Elite Capture: Leadership silence may also be symptomatic of co-optation—where union leaders receive personal or political incentives to remain quiet. This undermines accountability to the rank-and-file members.
- Institutional Decay and Capacity Limitations: Many unions in Ethiopia suffer from weak institutional capacity, lack of organizing experience, and insufficient grassroots mobilization mechanisms. These internal deficiencies weaken their ability to respond to crises or galvanize collective action.
- Legal and Political Constraints: Proclamations like the CSO law (before it was reformed) and other restrictive labor laws may have limited the legal instruments available to unions to advocate effectively for their members.
IV. Benchmarking Global Examples: Unions that Lead
There are several global examples where labor unions and teacher associations have played transformative roles during socio-economic crises:
- South Korea (1987): During economic liberalization, trade unions played a pivotal role in securing worker rights and democratizing the workplace, despite state resistance.
- Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT): KNUT has a long history of mobilizing teachers across the country, regularly securing salary adjustments and improved working conditions through collective bargaining and organized strikes.
- South Africa (COSATU): The Congress of South African Trade Unions was instrumental in fighting apartheid and continues to advocate for worker rights, including organizing strikes even under restrictive labor environments.
These examples show that active, courageous, and strategic union leadership can serve as a critical counterbalance to state and employer indifference—especially during national crises.
V. The Cost of Silence
The silence of CETU and ETA has deep repercussions:
- Worsening Worker Conditions: Without organized advocacy, wage stagnation will continue unabated, and more families will fall below the poverty line.
- Loss of Trust and Legitimacy: Workers will increasingly view their associations as irrelevant, eroding collective identity and weakening future organizing potential.
- Social Fragmentation and Despair: In the absence of collective outlets for grievances, individual frustration may turn into apathy or even sporadic unrest.
- Undermining Democratic Culture: Unions are schools of democracy. Their inactivity contributes to the erosion of participatory culture in broader society.
VI. Toward Accountability and Reform
To reclaim their legitimacy and fulfill their mandates, CETU and ETA must:
- Conduct Internal Democratic Elections: Revitalize their leadership through transparent elections that are accountable to the base.
- Strengthen Grassroots Mobilization: Invest in member education, local branches, and grievance channels to build from the bottom up.
- Reclaim Public Voice: Issue public statements, organize legal demonstrations, and negotiate with the government and employers on behalf of members.
- Forge Alliances: Collaborate with civil society organizations, other unions, and media to amplify their concerns and protect against state repression.
Conclusion: The Urgency of Awakening
The current economic crisis demands leadership, not lethargy. CETU and ETA must awaken from their dormancy and begin to act in defense of their members. Their silence is not neutrality—it is complicity in the suffering of millions. Ethiopia’s labor force deserves better: more assertive, accountable, and democratic institutions that can stand tall in defense of dignity, fairness, and equity. If the health professionals’ associations could act within the same context, so can CETU and ETA.
Let this article be both a critique and a call to action. The time for silence is over. The time for solidarity, courage, and renewal is now.
References
- Freeman, R.B., and Medoff, J.L. What Do Unions Do? (1984)
- Dunlop, J.T. Industrial Relations Systems (1958)
- International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions No. 87 & 98
- South Africa’s COSATU: Historical Role and Current Activism
- Kenya National Union of Teachers: Advocacy Records (2010–2020)
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
__
Subscribe : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/
Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Add your business to Ethiopian Business Listing / Ethiopian Business Directory Business Listing Toronto
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Subscribe to YouTube channel To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com