Rwanda Nurses and Midwives Union in May 2023 offered training to 67 Shop Stewards in Nyamasheke , Rusizi and Musanze districts. Part of the training were also the 9 District Committee members for the areas.
Shop stewards are the foundation and pillars of the Union; they are picked from the general membership at a workplace. It is through shop stewards that nurses / midwives are able to air their grievances. Shop stewards are committed, hardworking, disciplined and progressive members who work as volunteers to the Union. The trainings focused on empowering them with leadership skills in order to be able to manage membership cases and be able to negotiate for their benefits at their respective workplace levels. In executing their functions, it is expected of shop stewards to play various roles ranging from being organizers, representatives, monitors, leaders, learners and educators. Through Shop Stewards, RNMU is committed to represent its members at all times and to also recruit and maintain members.
Responsibilities of Shop Stewards. They are as follows.
- Give daily and monthly updates and reports on issues pertaining nursing and midwifery at their respective work places.
- Give regular updates on the total number of nurses and midwives, number of RNMU members and the total number of members making monthly contributions.
- The Shop Stewards are the primary link between nurses / midwives with RNMU at their respective work places.
- The Shop Stewards should negotiate for fellow members or nurses/midwives at work place level in terms of social welfare and legal matters.
- The Shop Stewards are required to make reports concerning social and legal cases that are being handled at their respective work places to RNMU headquarters.
Shop stewards are further mandated with;
- Recruiting new members at their respective work places;
- Make sure that all the members are paying subscription to the RNMU;
- Hold regular meetings with the members at their respective workplace;
- Develop and encourage a spirit of unity amongst nurses / midwives;
- Take up worker’s grievances with hospital management;
- Negotiate on all issues which concern nurses / midwives;
- Effectively report back to members the decisions of nurses / midwives to the hospital management;
- Report back to members after each meeting with management
- Represent the views of your nurses / midwives in RNMU structures
- Represent the views of your members in communities and in political structures.
- Shop stewards must make sure that hospital management sticks to agreements which have been negotiated with members
- Listen to and act upon grievances and opinions of members
- Offer guidance and direction to members
