The politics of the work place: a history of labour unionisation in Zimbabwe's railway sector, 1980-2017

Abstract

The history of labour and unionisation in the railway industry in Zimbabwe can be traced back to the colonial period. As the railway industry was established, it became the nuclear for trade through transport as the country is landlocked. In the colonial era, the industry’s labour composed both the whites and Africans and the organisation and operation was discriminatory in nature which paved way for the rise of unions. The study focuses on several factors which compelled Africans to engage into unionisation in the post- colonial railway industry of Zimbabwe. Labour movement however, after independence was a continuation of the scheme which had started in the colonial period. Several efforts were made by both the unions and the NRZ Company to improve the plight of workers. The study therefore also focused on the nature and operation of unions making an assessment of their effectiveness in the railway industry. There are several factors which also affected the operation of the industry which adversely affected workers’ welfare. For a detailed research, archival sources were used to trace the historical development of the railway industry and the early labour movements. Interviews from pensioners, and workers of NRZ as well as stakeholders in the railway industry complemented the research.