To discourage and oppose the formation of splinter trade unions in zimbabwe, or any other forms of worker disunity. The development of african trade unions in colonial. There are a number of trade unions that operate in zimbabwe. It is composed of the national organiser and the department links with regional offices of the congress. Zimbabwe zimbabwe is a country where serious trade union rights violations persist, despite the new government of national unity. The rise and fall of trade unionism in zimbabwe, part i. See tripartism, ituc guide to international trade union rights commission of inquiry confirmed in march that zimbabwes government was responsible for serious violations of fundamental rights, in particular the freedom to organise trade unions, the right to collective bargaining collective bargaining the process of negotiating mutually.
The zctu was formed on february 28, 1981 through the merger. As clearly demonstrated a trade union can belong to more than one category. The united states embassy in harare which has always had a keen interest in the labour movement in zimbabwe carried out a twopart analysis of the labour movement barely two months after the formation of the inclusive government. Trade union struggles for autonomy and democracy in zimbabwe. Trade union services and benefits in africa edited by. Amidst the recent democratic crisis following the announcement that the patriotic front government intends to deregister the main opposition party the movement for multiparty democracy few commentators have pickedup on the growing tension between new president michael sata and zambias trade unions. Pdf the rise and fall of trade unionism in zimbabwe, part i. The labour movement was organisationally weak upon independence, and numerous wildcat strikes in 198081 were harshly crushed by the zimbabwe african national union government under robert mugabe saunders 2001. Some are known as super unions which can be formed by a merger of various unions to overlook the welfare of all workers. The zimbabwe congress of trade unions is the primary trade union federation in zimbabwe.
Congress of trade unions amongst workers in zimbabwe has taken a plunge. Trade unions and democracy in zambia democracy in africa. Types of trade unions free zimsec revision notes and. An analysis of trade unions in zimbabwe by the united states embassy. Focus on zimbabwe introduction a fundamental precondition for the establishment and reproduction of the. Theories relating to introduction of trade unions, history of trade unions in. Firstly, the trade union movement in zimbabwe is paralysed. Trade unions, development, and democratization in zambia. Pdf on apr 5, 20, paris yeros and others published the rise and fall of trade. Trade unions in zimbabwe role, functions of workers. Members of the zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu still face harassment at the hands of the police, zanupf youths and the central intelligence organisation. This study aims at finding out the effect of trade unionism on workers. The years between 1989 and 1991 may be regarded as the period during which the zambia congress of trade unions zctu reached the height of its perceived influence in zambian politics.
The study sought to investigate the reasons why the popularity of the zimbabwe congress of trade unions amongst workers in zimbabwe has taken a plunge. The target of succeeding governments, political factions, employers, and economic policies, trade unions have faced these challenges armed with weak organizational structures and often a. Some 150 police surrounded the zctu offices in harare to stop the holding of a demonstration against a transaction tax increase which would hit the countrys already impoverished. Put a condition in a contract of employment preventing an employee joining a trade union. For almost all history on record, poverty has been a severe thorn in the side of mankind, to. Trade union advisory and coordinating council tuacc formed. United states, the history of labour colleges is marked by financial. This national centre was not established as a spontaneous initiative of the labour unions themselves but as the initiative of the state with its corporatist interest. This research was largely conducted in the course of my doctoral thesis, defended at the london school of economics in 2002. Zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu home facebook. In 199798 tsvangirai successfully led a series of strikes against president mugabes taxation policy. Workers struggles in zimbabwe one such case is that of zimbabwe, which forms the focus of this article. The name changed and application for registration was successful.
Zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu commercial workers union of zimbabwe. Refuse to employ a person on the grounds that he is a member of a union. To organize, develop and maintain a powerful, effective, democratic independent and united trade union movement in zimbabwe. Below is a list of some of them and their categories. The association was created in 2000 by the merger of two organizations that had existed. Challenges facing trade unions in the modern society are also discussed in this section. A case of tanzania teachers union by mohamed mussa a dissertation submitted to mzumbe university dar es salaam campus college in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of master of science in accounting and finance m sc. Africa, the united republic of tanzania, zambia and zimbabwe. Mainly, the challenges discussed here are related to.
Since the 1990s ngos and other funders have plied funds into trade unions. The african trade union congress atuc was a national trade union centre in rhodesia later zimbabwe. Challenges facing trade unions in the modern society the. The following is a list of major independent trade unions, which are solely accountable to their members and free from employer domination as it stood on 31 march 2012. Trade unions in botswana operate within a longstanding democratic system in which the government of botswana has ratified the international labour organizations core conventions, including conventions 87 freedom of association and 98 right to organize with the exception of members of the botswana defence force, botswana police service, local police, and prison service, all workers have. Occupational unions represent a particular occupation or group. A case of zimbabwe congress of trade union zctu qinisani bhebe1 and mildred mahapa2 abstract. Trade unions in africas democratic renewal and transitions.
Back then it was illegal for black workers to belong to a registered trade union so workers joined benefit funds a cover for trade unions. Occupational unions represent a particular occupation or. History of trade unionism in zambia zambia daily mail. I wish to thank sam moyo and brian raftopoulos for their advice, as well as staff at the institute of development studies university of zimbabwe and at the zimbabwe congress of trade unions for their assistance. Tucz has now been registered as a fully fledged trade union federation in terms of the law by the ministry of public service, labour and social welfare. The insider has so far only been able to get part 1 of the analysis which was released by wikileaks. The constitution of zimbabwe allows freedom of association to all, provided that no person may compel any other person to join an association or to attend a meeting or gathering.
November 1996, the zimbabwe congress of trade unions. It also seeks to examine the relationship between trade unionism and the actions of management. United states interest in movement began long before independence. Zimbabwe congress of trade unions phone and map of address. The former general secretary was morgan tsvangirai. This southern african country of 12 million people has been rocked by strike action throughout the1990s. The international trade union confederation, which. November 1996, the zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu, the private sector union federation, tried to launch a twoday general strike in solidarity, although this failed due to largescale police intimidation and the weak grassroots structures of the zctu unions. State and industrial relations in developing countries zimbabwe focus on zimbabwe by arnold elson sibanda. Discriminate against a worker on the grounds that he is a member of a union. Jeffrey mutandare is a former president of the zctu.
The decline in trade union density in the 21stcentury in zimbabwe. In accordance with the labour act, any group of employees may form or join a trade union or employers organization. Objectives of trade unions how trade unions are financed how trade unions recruits its members why employees join trade unions functions of trade unions trade union structure weaknesschallengesproblems facing trade unions measures to strengthen trade unions advantages of trade unions to workers, employees and society criticism of. It is not possible to list all of them here, but we do certainly make mention of some of them. Pdf the rise and fall of trade unionism in zimbabwe. From the very beginning the questions of legitimacy. Early life and involvement with trade unions he became secretarygeneral of the zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu, the national federation of trade unions. Also, any group of trade unions or employers organizations may form a federation.
In the first section, we will briefly discuss the history of trade unions, just to give the reader an idea of how it all started. Zimbabwe zimbabwe congress of trade unions, zctu dans les anne. The labor movement in zimbabwe has maintained a precarious existence for several decades. The organizations public campaign for the democratization of zambian politics, initiated in december 1989, culminated in the electoral defeat of the united national independence party unip at the. Video courtesy of new please visit their web page on. To promote, safeguard and win trade union rights and privileges.
Shamhuyarira argues that african trade unions existed way back even before. The ituc has condemned the beating and arrest by police this morning of zimbabwe congress of trade unions president peter mutasa and secretary general japhet mayo, along with the arrest of 33 other trade unionists. The most notable ones were the bpshellfmi zimbabwe merger and the chevron zimbabweengen holdings merger. The decline in trade union density in the 21stcentury in. Except for those in security services, workers are allowed to form unions and to participate in. Trapped between an ongoing informalisation of the african economies on the one hand and the consequences of. In countries as far apart as zimbabwe and bangladesh unions are at the. Zimbabwe congress of trade unions, trade unions, zimbabwe. The reason why the trade unions were chosen as a focus of the research are numerous. The trade union is any association or organization formed to represent or advance the interests of any employees or class thereof in respect of their employment. Zimbabwe congress of trade unions labour organization. To strive for the achievement of the highest possible percentage of membership and achievement of compulsory check off of trade union levies and dues in zimbabwe.
The department is one of the eleven 11 departments that form the operational structure of the zimbabwe congress of trade unions. Mawu was the first union formed in durban from the general factory workers benefit fund. The unions then transformed cozitu into the trade union congress of zimbabwe tucz when they made an application for registration. It will also highlight other functions of trade unions that aim towards benefitting both organization and employees. African trade union congress atuc, the national african trade union congress natuc, the trade union congress of zimbabwe tucz, the united trade unions of zimbabwe utuz, the zimbabwe federation of labour zfl and the zimbabwe trade union congress ztuc. The genesis of trade unionism in zambia dates back to the time of the start of mining on the copperbelt after huge deposits of copper were discovered in the region in the 1920s leading to. Zimbabwe ituc survey of violations of trade union rights. President of the zimbabwe congress of trade unions may day, 1991.
The zctu was formed on february 28, 1981 through the merger of six trade union centres. Trade unions in zimbabwe and their types free zimsec. Zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu, harare, zimbabwe. Update on trade union congress of zimbabwe zimbabwe. The general secretary of zctu is wellington chibebe and the president is lovemore matombo. The most obvious problem has been the need to explain the absence of trade unions amongst africans in the three decades of their industrial experience prior to i920. The study will trace the history of trade unions in zimbabwe from their formative age to the end of the 20th century, looking at the factors that contributed towards the thriving of trade unions before the decline in trade union density in the 21st century in zimbabwe. What events take place and processes happen depend on a number of things. National executive member, zimbabwe congress of trade unions, harare. Firstly, trade unions usually function as significant collective interest groups whose role is fundamental to the reproduction of the economy. The zimbabwe congress of trade unions zctu emerged from under the wing of the ruling party in the second half of the 1980s to become the epicentre of organised opposi tional politics in zimbabwe. However, the extent to which democratisation and economic reform has been achieved has been strongly conditioned, on the one hand, by the weaknesses and. Zimbabwe congress of trade unions application to overturn ban on march dismissed with costs. An analysis of trade unions in zimbabwe by the united.