Trade Union Membership and Earnings in Kenyan Manufacturing Firms

Abstract

This paper analyses the effect of trade unions on earnings in Kenyan manufacturing using a switching regression model, which takes into account endogeneity of union status of workers. In contrast to earlier studies of the Kenyan labour market, which indicate that the union effect on wages is negative, our results show a strong positive trade union effect. We also show that it is workers with relatively weak position in the labour market that joins the union.