International Journal of Labour Research

Unity and Revitalization of Trade Unions in Africa

This paper follows the history of organized trade unionism in Africa, from popularity and power in the 1980s to disaffection and splintering into multiple unions at regional, subregional and national level in the 1990s and beyond. It analyses the impact of the considerable rivalry between the two main trade union organizations in terms of financial stability, membership density and representation at the African Union and international bodies.