The History of Labour Movement in East Africa: the Case of Kenya and Tanzania

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue II, February 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 The History of Labour Movement in East Africa: The Case of Kenya and Tanzania Salum Rashid MOHAMED Institute of Social Sciences, University of Kocaeli, Turkey Abstract: - This study looked at the history of labour movement Agriculture and other business ventures. With time, the in Kenya and Tanzania for the period between 1900s - 1980s. movement became an important agent for social change in The two countries are the former British colonies and the Africa and particularly in Kenya and Tanzania (Mindo, 2002). founders of the East African Community. The study used desk At the outset, in the 1920s and 1930s, the study of labour review as a method of collecting necessary information and history in Africa was closely linked to the study of migration comparative method to analyse the information and compare the situation of labour movements in the two countries. It has been of labour (Lucassen, 2013). These early studies of labour were understood that the first labour movements in both countries to a great extent governed by colonial agendas which sought appeared as spontaneous strikes carried out by workers in the to maintain control over local populations, and in that context transport sector (ports and railway), and that organisation into an accrued understanding of labour played a role in the unions came later, and started as associations and friendly clubs. paternalist advancement of moderated modernisation. By Situations before independence, in both countries, discouraged contrast, since the 1950s and 1960s, scholars who were the development of any labour movement. British colonial sympathetic to African anti-colonial, nationalist movements regimes used different legal texts to freeze movements, until the focused on labour unions. Thus, trade unions were identified beginning of 1940s. At this period, workers unions were weak as the uncontested representatives of the working classes and underground, but the struggle for independence awakened their strength. The situation after independence worsened, for while their role in nation-building was also undeniable the governments took complete control over the trade unions’ (Lucassen, 2013). activities, but was little bit better in Kenya than in Tanzania. Kenya and Tanzania provide an excellent example of African Trade unions had to wait until the introduction of political countries with extensive history of labour and trade unionism liberalization to regain their freedom. The study contributes to existing knowledge base on labour movement in East African, in the region. Workers and their unions played extraordinary and in Kenya and Tanzania in particular, using comparative role not only in the struggle for the improvement of labour approach. relations and working environment of workers but also in the fight for the independence of the entire countries. However, Key words: Labour movement, Trade union, Kenya, Tanzania lack of documentation of this development and the absence of I. INTRODUCTION sufficient studies eclipse the role of these different actors. This renders accessibility of the history of labour movement he East African Community (EAC) is a regional difficult for many people in the region. More studies of this T intergovernmental organisation of six (6) Partner States, kind are required to publicise this development. namely; Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania1 and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. Like This article looked at the history of labour movements in East in many regions in Africa, East African labour movements Africa during and after colonialism. The study covers the have long term history not only in the development of labour situation of workers and their movements during the period of relations and working environment but also in political 1900s to post colonial period of 1980s, with specific focus on process that facilitated independence of most of the countries Kenya and Tanzania. More specifically, the study aimed at: in the region. Kenya and Tanzania are the key founders of the understanding the emergence of labour movements and their EAC, together with Uganda. Labour is one of the issues that associated characteristics; the situation of labour movements are given upmost importance in the union, particularly in the (political, legal and capacity), both before and after recent days with the free movement of workers and capital independence; and finally, providing a conclusive comparison within the region. of the situation of labour movements between Kenya and Tanzania. It is argued that trade Union movement was introduced in Africa by the Western capitalist nations as a way of ensuring a After this introduction the report will continue by exploring constant supply of labour for the European plantation the emergence of labour movement in the region, including the first strikes and the formation of associations and unions. Then, the situation od labour movement before and after 1 The name Tanzania came in to life after the union between Tanganyika and independence in Kenya and Tanzania will be elaborated Zanzibar in April 1964. Up until then the country was known as Tanganyika, before jumping to conclusion which provides the general covering the current Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar covering the islands of Unguja and Pemba. www.rsisinternational.org Page 521 International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue II, February 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 comparison of the situation of labour movements between the based. Although they scored valuable victories, they were two countries. defeated by a better armed colonial force (Shiraz, 2009). II. EMERGENCE OF LABOUR MOVEMENT Oberst (1988) noted that dock and railway workers led the general strikes in Dar es Salaam (1943 and 1947), Mombasa It is not easy to establish the cut-off date on when exactly the (in 1942, 1944 and 1947), Nairobi (in 1942 and 1944) and workers’ movements emerged in the entire region. Riddell Zanzibar (in 1948). He holds the opinion that communication (1962) argues that the development of labour movements in links between Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Tanga, and Zanzibar East Africa was slower compared to other parts of Africa. undoubtedly played a role in the outbreak of strikes in those However, it is generally agreeable that the first workers’ cities within such a short period. These cities are located on movement in the region was recorded during colonial era, just the cost of the Indian Ocean with harbours, commonly used before the First World War (Oberst, 1988; Muir & Brown, for transportation of goods and passengers. In the same way 1974). They appeared as spontaneous strikes of workers these cities happened to be the backbone of the colonial which mostly tended to be violent and disruptive. In Kenya, economy and government revenue and the centre of for example, the first strike was organised in the year 1900 administration of the colonial governments in both Kenya and (Shiraz, 2009), while in Tanzania such a strike took place in Tanzania. 1920s (Babeiya, 2011). One of the early activities of the Union was to struggle for an Furthermore, Damachi et al (1979) argue that the trade union eight hour working day. This was the decision of the Second movement and the attempt to evolve effective industrial Annual General Meeting of the Labour Trade Union of relations in Kenya have been intimately associated with the Kenya, held from 6-13 September, 1936 (Shiraz, 2009). The desire for national independence. This is primarily because the strike for an 8-hour day and wage increases finally came to a employers who were themselves foreigners were also successful end after 62 days and ended on June 3, 1937. The associated with the ruling power, hence the struggle against Union brought out another handbill informing workers about the employer had to involve the unions in political activities. the success of the strike. All Nairobi employers agreed to an 8 The distinction between trade union and political movements hour day, and gave between 15-22% increases in wages and got more blurred when, as it turned out, the same trade union recognised the workers’ right to be represented by their leaders became the driving force of the nationalist movement. Unions. All workers dismissed during the strike were Trade unions have thus paralleled and greatly contributed to reinstated. The Union announced a demonstration to celebrate nationalism and the realisation of an independent republic the Nairobi workers victory (Zeleza, 1993; Shiraz, 2009). under majority rule (Damachi et al, 1979:237). Another important strike is that of Mombasa Kenya which On the other hand, Bienefeld, (1979), considers Tanzania began on January 13 1947, and which was declared illegal labour movement/ trade union development having passed in under Defence Regulations, and ended twelve days later on four stages: The first was characterised by total absence of the promise that conditions would be investigated. Over trade union activity and by an equally thorough disinterest of 15,000 workers were involved, with only the most highly paid such matters by the government. Until 1947 when a strike in white collar employees not participating it. Their claims the Dar es Salaam docks developed into a general strike that included poor condition of living after the war, including shocked the entire territory. The second stage is marked by severe overcrowding, food shortages and rising cost of living government efforts to establish joint consultative bodies so as (Oberst, 1988). The table 1 below shows the statistics of the to strengthen communication that would prevent strike events strikes and number of workers involved for both Kenya and and that would help to obstruct the development of trade Tanzania. unionism. It ended up by mid-1950s with the establishment of the Tanganyika Federation of Labour (TFL). Its task was to In Tanzania, the first strikes were conducted by workers in assist in the organisation of all workers eligible to join trade transport sector, mainly ports and railway (Oberst, 1988; union.

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