3 - The State and Labour Control in Malawi: Continuities and Discontinuities Between One-party and Multiparty Systems
Corresponding Author(s) : Lewis B. Dzimbiri
Africa Development,
Vol. 30 No. 4 (2005): Africa Development
Abstract
An analysis of state-labour relations in Malawi over a period of four decades reveals, like in other countries in Southern Africa, tendencies towards continui ties and discontinuities in labour controls. While Malawi's political system has undergone a major transformation to democracy in the 1990s after three dec ades of dictatorship which was hostile to trade unions through administrative, political and legal apparatuses, the democratic state has been marked by 'diplo matic' hostility through divide-and-rule and hide-and-seek tactics. Using differ ent means the state has succeeded in curtailing freedom of association in varying degrees during the one-party and multiparty periods. Thus, while labour control as an objective of the state has not changed, the means have changed dramatically. The desire to achieve political stability and economic develop ment, against a changed international political order demanding human rights and good governance in the 1990s, explains the current 'diplomatic' hostility in Malawi's industrial relations. The role of the international donor community in exporting democratic structures and values to societies that do not have an in built culture of democracy similar to western societies is viewed as a further explanation for the creation of significant degrees of discrepancies between la bour policy and practice in Malawi.
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- nanaba, W., 1977, The Trade Union Movement in Africa. London: C. Horst.
- Anders, G., 2002, 'Freedom and Insecurity: Civil Servants between Support Networks, the Free
- Market and the Civil Service Reform' in Englund, H. (ed) A Democracy of Chameleons: Politics and
- Culture in the New Malawi. 31antyre: CLAIM.
- Bean, R., 1994, Comparative Industrial Relations: An Introduction to Cross
- national Perspective. London: Routledge.
- Chazan, N., Mortimer, R., Ravenhill, J. and Rothchild, D., 1992, Politics and Society in
- Contemporary Africa. London: Macmillan.
- Chiume, K., 1982, PANAF Great Lives: An Autobiography of Kanyama Chiume.
- London: PANAF.
- Christie, S. and Madhuku, L., 1996, • Labour Disputes in Southern Africa: Resolution in Southern
- Africa: An Overview', in Christie, S. and Madhuku,
- L. (eds) Labour Resolutions in Southern Africa. Cape Town: FES and Institute ofDevelopment and
- Labour Law, University of Cape Town.
- Chihana, C., 1992, The Bumpy Road to Freedom: Mitigation Statement on Sedition Trial, The High
- Court, Blantyre Malawi.
- Department oflnformation, 1964a, The Prime Minister Explains Reasons Leading to the Dismissal of
- Ministers. Zomba.
- Department oflnformation, 1965, Prime Minister Speaks on the situation at Fort Johnstone September
- -April 1965. Zomba.
- Dzimbiri, L., 1994, 'The Malawi Referendum Elections of 1993', International Journal of Electoral
- Studies 13: 3, pp. 228-234.
- Dzimbiri, L., 1998, 'Competitive Politics and Chameleon-like Leaders', in Phiri,
- K. and Ross, K. (eds) Democratisation of Malawi: A Stocktaking. Blantyre: CLAIM.
- Dzimbiri, L., 2002, 'Industrial Relations, the State and Strike activity in Malawi' PhD thesis,
- Keele University, UK.
- Employment Act 2000.
- Etukudo, A., 1995, 'Reflections on the Role of African Employers' Organisations in Tripartism and
- Social Dialogue'. International Labour Review 134:1, pp. 51-64.
- ESAURP, 1994, The Cost of Peace: Vzews of Political Parties on the Transition to Multiparty
- Democracy. Dar-es-Salaam: TEMA Publishers.
- Galafa, M., 1997, Employee Relations in the Civil Service. MSc thesis, University of Manchester.
- Hyman, R., 1975, lndustrial Relations: A Marxist Introduction. London: Macmillan.
- [honvebere, J., 2000, 'Politics ofConstitutional Reforms and Democratization in Africa'.
- International Journal of Comparative Sociology 41:1, pp. 9-26.
- Kalua; E. and Mdhuku, L. (eds) Public Sector Labour Relations in Southern
- Africa: Developments and Trends. Cape Town: FES and Institute of Development and Labour Law,
- University of Cape Town.
- K.antsemo, G., 1995, 'The rote of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development in the Management
- of Labour Conflicts: Legal Problems and Perspectives'. Paper presented to the Labour Law Reform
- Seminar, Nkopola Lodge, Mangochi, Malawi, June 17-18.
References
nanaba, W., 1977, The Trade Union Movement in Africa. London: C. Horst.
Anders, G., 2002, 'Freedom and Insecurity: Civil Servants between Support Networks, the Free
Market and the Civil Service Reform' in Englund, H. (ed) A Democracy of Chameleons: Politics and
Culture in the New Malawi. 31antyre: CLAIM.
Bean, R., 1994, Comparative Industrial Relations: An Introduction to Cross
national Perspective. London: Routledge.
Chazan, N., Mortimer, R., Ravenhill, J. and Rothchild, D., 1992, Politics and Society in
Contemporary Africa. London: Macmillan.
Chiume, K., 1982, PANAF Great Lives: An Autobiography of Kanyama Chiume.
London: PANAF.
Christie, S. and Madhuku, L., 1996, • Labour Disputes in Southern Africa: Resolution in Southern
Africa: An Overview', in Christie, S. and Madhuku,
L. (eds) Labour Resolutions in Southern Africa. Cape Town: FES and Institute ofDevelopment and
Labour Law, University of Cape Town.
Chihana, C., 1992, The Bumpy Road to Freedom: Mitigation Statement on Sedition Trial, The High
Court, Blantyre Malawi.
Department oflnformation, 1964a, The Prime Minister Explains Reasons Leading to the Dismissal of
Ministers. Zomba.
Department oflnformation, 1965, Prime Minister Speaks on the situation at Fort Johnstone September
-April 1965. Zomba.
Dzimbiri, L., 1994, 'The Malawi Referendum Elections of 1993', International Journal of Electoral
Studies 13: 3, pp. 228-234.
Dzimbiri, L., 1998, 'Competitive Politics and Chameleon-like Leaders', in Phiri,
K. and Ross, K. (eds) Democratisation of Malawi: A Stocktaking. Blantyre: CLAIM.
Dzimbiri, L., 2002, 'Industrial Relations, the State and Strike activity in Malawi' PhD thesis,
Keele University, UK.
Employment Act 2000.
Etukudo, A., 1995, 'Reflections on the Role of African Employers' Organisations in Tripartism and
Social Dialogue'. International Labour Review 134:1, pp. 51-64.
ESAURP, 1994, The Cost of Peace: Vzews of Political Parties on the Transition to Multiparty
Democracy. Dar-es-Salaam: TEMA Publishers.
Galafa, M., 1997, Employee Relations in the Civil Service. MSc thesis, University of Manchester.
Hyman, R., 1975, lndustrial Relations: A Marxist Introduction. London: Macmillan.
[honvebere, J., 2000, 'Politics ofConstitutional Reforms and Democratization in Africa'.
International Journal of Comparative Sociology 41:1, pp. 9-26.
Kalua; E. and Mdhuku, L. (eds) Public Sector Labour Relations in Southern
Africa: Developments and Trends. Cape Town: FES and Institute of Development and Labour Law,
University of Cape Town.
K.antsemo, G., 1995, 'The rote of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development in the Management
of Labour Conflicts: Legal Problems and Perspectives'. Paper presented to the Labour Law Reform
Seminar, Nkopola Lodge, Mangochi, Malawi, June 17-18.