GB 0101 TU.ZW - Zimbabwe: Trades Unions Material

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0101 TU.ZW

Title

Zimbabwe: Trades Unions Material

Date(s)

  • 1959- (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

2 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Prior to UDI in 1965 only all-white unions and African unions formed after 1959 were legally recognised in what was then Southern Rhodesia, and in addition these unions had to be skill-based rather than general. After 1965, repressive labour policies forced many unionists, including the leadership of the African Trades Union Congress (ATUC), into exile. Given government antipathy and splits within the labour movement, with some unionists advocating a less political stance and association with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) while others left to support the guerrilla war (1966-1980), trade unions remained weak until independence. Subsequently the ZANU-PF regime sought to control the workforce through the creation of a new confederation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), designed to be compliant with government labour policy. The majority of the materials held here date from before 1980, and originate from both blue and white-collar and African and European unions.

Archival history

The Commonwealth Political Parties Materials collection was begun in 1960-1961, with special emphasis being placed then, as now, on 'primary material such as party constitutions, policy statements, convention reports and election manifestos.' (ICS, Twelfth Annual Report 1960-1961). Since then, the main method of gathering material has been to appeal directly to political parties throughout the Commonwealth, though contributions from Institute members and staff following visits to relevant countries have been significant.
GB 0101 TU.ZW 1959- Collection (Fonds) 2 boxes Institute of Commonwealth Studies

Prior to UDI in 1965 only all-white unions and African unions formed after 1959 were legally recognised in what was then Southern Rhodesia, and in addition these unions had to be skill-based rather than general. After 1965, repressive labour policies forced many unionists, including the leadership of the African Trades Union Congress (ATUC), into exile. Given government antipathy and splits within the labour movement, with some unionists advocating a less political stance and association with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) while others left to support the guerrilla war (1966-1980), trade unions remained weak until independence. Subsequently the ZANU-PF regime sought to control the workforce through the creation of a new confederation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), designed to be compliant with government labour policy. The majority of the materials held here date from before 1980, and originate from both blue and white-collar and African and European unions.

The Commonwealth Political Parties Materials collection was begun in 1960-1961, with special emphasis being placed then, as now, on 'primary material such as party constitutions, policy statements, convention reports and election manifestos.' (ICS, Twelfth Annual Report 1960-1961). Since then, the main method of gathering material has been to appeal directly to political parties throughout the Commonwealth, though contributions from Institute members and staff following visits to relevant countries have been significant.

Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

Zimbabwe: Trades Unions Material, 1959 onwards, including journals, memoranda, conference reports and minutes, pamphlets, addresses, agendas, constitutions, letters, interviews, membership cards and miscellaneous materials issued by the African Farmers' Union of Rhodesia, the African Trades Union Congress of Southern Rhodesia, the Agricultural and Plantation Workers' Union, the Central African Power Corporation Staff Association, the Confederation of African Labour, the Fort Victoria Municipal Employees Association, the Industrial Commercial Union (Zimbabwe), the International Federation of Free Trade Unions, the National African Federation of Unions (Zimbabwe), the National Association of Local Government Officers and Employees (Zimbabwe), the Pilots' Association of Rhodesia, the Rhodesia Posts and Telecommunications Association, the Rhodesia Railway Workers' Union, the Salisbury Municipal Employees' Association, the Salisbury Municipal Professional Officers' Association, the Salisbury Municipal Workers' Union, the Southern Rhodesian Trades Union Co-ordinating Committee in the United Kingdom, the Trades Union Congress of Rhodesia, the Typographical Union of Rhodesia, the United Textile Workers' Union of Rhodesia, the University College of Rhodesia Students' Union, the Zimbabwe African Congress of Unions and the Zimbabwe Students Union.

Further accruals are expected, some in electronic form.

Alphabetically according to union and then in rough chronological order.

Open to all for research purposes; access is free for anyone in higher education.

Copies can usually be obtained - apply to library staff.
English

Records at item level on library catalogue (SASCAT).

See also Zimbabwe: Political Parties Material (PP.ZW), Zimbabwe: Pressure Groups Material (PG.ZW) and Rhodesia and Nyasaland: Political Parties Material (PP.RH) as well as Political Party, Trades Unions and Pressure Group Materials for other Commonwealth countries and related material in the library's main classified sequence, all held at the ICS.

Description compiled by Daniel Millum, Political Archives Project Officer at the Institutes of Commonwealth and Latin American Studies.  Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.  Created 20/12/2004 AIM25 African Farmers' Union of Rhodesia African history African Trades Union Congress of Southern Rhodesia Agricultural and Plantation Workers' Union Central African Power Corporation Staff Association Confederation of African Labour Fort Victoria Municipal Employees Association Industrial Commercial Union (Zimbabwe) International Federation of Free Trade Unions Labour Labour movements Labour relations National African Federation of Unions (Zimbabwe) National Association of Local Government Officers and Employees (Zimbabwe) National history Pilots' Association of Rhodesia Political science Politics Rhodesia Posts and Telecommunications Association Rhodesia Railway Workers' Union Salisbury Municipal Employees' Association Salisbury Municipal Professional Officers' Association Salisbury Municipal Workers' Union Southern Africa Southern Rhodesian Trades Union Co-ordinating Committee in the United Kingdom Students Trades Union Congress of Rhodesia Trade unions Typographical Union of Rhodesia United Textile Workers' Union of Rhodesia University College of Rhodesia Students' Union Zimbabwe Zimbabwe African Congress of Unions Zimbabwe Students Union

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Zimbabwe: Trades Unions Material, 1959 onwards, including journals, memoranda, conference reports and minutes, pamphlets, addresses, agendas, constitutions, letters, interviews, membership cards and miscellaneous materials issued by the African Farmers' Union of Rhodesia, the African Trades Union Congress of Southern Rhodesia, the Agricultural and Plantation Workers' Union, the Central African Power Corporation Staff Association, the Confederation of African Labour, the Fort Victoria Municipal Employees Association, the Industrial Commercial Union (Zimbabwe), the International Federation of Free Trade Unions, the National African Federation of Unions (Zimbabwe), the National Association of Local Government Officers and Employees (Zimbabwe), the Pilots' Association of Rhodesia, the Rhodesia Posts and Telecommunications Association, the Rhodesia Railway Workers' Union, the Salisbury Municipal Employees' Association, the Salisbury Municipal Professional Officers' Association, the Salisbury Municipal Workers' Union, the Southern Rhodesian Trades Union Co-ordinating Committee in the United Kingdom, the Trades Union Congress of Rhodesia, the Typographical Union of Rhodesia, the United Textile Workers' Union of Rhodesia, the University College of Rhodesia Students' Union, the Zimbabwe African Congress of Unions and the Zimbabwe Students Union.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Further accruals are expected, some in electronic form.

System of arrangement

Alphabetically according to union and then in rough chronological order.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open to all for research purposes; access is free for anyone in higher education.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies can usually be obtained - apply to library staff.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

See also Zimbabwe: Political Parties Material (PP.ZW), Zimbabwe: Pressure Groups Material (PG.ZW) and Rhodesia and Nyasaland: Political Parties Material (PP.RH) as well as Political Party, Trades Unions and Pressure Group Materials for other Commonwealth countries and related material in the library's main classified sequence, all held at the ICS.

Finding aids

Records at item level on library catalogue (SASCAT).

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Institute of Commonwealth Studies

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area