THTU Historical Background

THTU stands for The Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Trade Union. It is an organisation registered on the 12th December 2008 (Reg. No. 23) under the Tanzania Trade Union Registration Act. THTU is a successor to an informal joint committee that operated from 1998 to 2008 among Tanzanian public universities whose main purpose was to coordinate efforts to get the Government of Tanzania to improve the working environment within Tanzanian Universities. The Joint Committee of Leaders' successful petitioning of the Government in 2005 lead to the formation of a high powered presidential committee that looked into the problems facing public universities,

THTU was established primarily to provide a national forum for Higher Learning Institutions' workers to deliberate on matters that affect workers welfare, Institutional welfare, productivity and broader community interests that impinge on their ability to participate effectively in national development. In line with higher learning institutions desire to inculcate democratic values among the Tanzanian people THTU is organised from the Bottom Up in manner that allows the grassroots branches to have effective voice in the Union. In departure from other trade union's THTU retains retirees as associate members.