UNIVERSITÀ DI PAVIA Dottorato in Storia – XXX ciclo TESI IN COTUTELA CON UNIVERSITY OF BASEL PhD Programme in African Studies Dynamics of Assertive Labour Movementism in Ethiopia: Organised Labour, Unrest and Wages in a Socio-Historical Perspective Presented by: Samuel Andreas Admasie Under the Supervision of: Massimo Zaccaria, Università di Pavia Elisio Macamo, University of Basel Acknowledgements The research presented in this dissertation has been supported by funding from the University of Pavia, the University of Basel, and the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel. I am deeply grateful for this. I am thankful to the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Pavia, the Centre for African Studies of the University of Basel, and the Graduate School of Social Sciences of the University of Basel for all the support they have extended to me. I am also grateful to the International Institute of Social History, for which I have been working since 2013 and which has hosted collections and conducted digitisation projects which have been essential to this dissertation. I am also grateful to the Department of Political Science and International Relations of Addis Ababa University, which hosted me for five semesters, facilitated my access to the archives on which much of this dissertation is based on, and gave me the delightful opportunity to teach members of a new generation of talented social scientists. The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies of the University of Hargeisa also deserves a mention in this regard, as does the International Graduate School North­South, and the African Studies Centre Leiden. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisors, Prof Massimo Zaccaria and Prof Elisio Macamo, for their kind support, guidance and patience; my supervisor at Addis Ababa University, Prof Kassahun Berhanu; and Dr Stefano Bellucci, Prof Uoldelul Chelati Dirar, and Dr Yeraswork Admassie, who either reviewed or commented on dissertational drafts, or served on my doctoral committee. I am immensely grateful to Dr Günter Schmidt­Gess, Virginie Gallati, and Dr Manuela Rossini, at the universities of Basel and Pavia for all their kind assistance. I would also like to thank Prof Pierluigi Valsecchi and Prof Marina Tesoro at the University of Pavia; Dr Veit Arlt and Dr Julia Büchele at the University of Basel; Dr Fekade Terefe, Prof Shiferaw Bekele, Dr Girma Negash, and Dr Abdiwasa Abdilahi Bade at Addis Ababa University; everyone at the International Institute of Social History, including, but not limited to, Marien van der Heijden, Jacqueline Rutte and Prof Marcel van der Linden; Kiflu Tadesse, Dr Alemu Abebe, Dawi Ibrahim, Hailu Ourgessa, Getachew Aberra, Demmelash Tebekew, Beyene Solomon, and Geresu Tufa, for being so generous with their time and so earnest in their recollections; Abrhaley Tesfagergs, Belayhun Hailu, and Meriam Daniel for research assistance; Mattis Jalakas for technical assistance with statistical analysis; Dr Azeb Amha, Dr Harry Wels, Michael Weldeghiorghis Tedla, Ella Verkaik, and Maaike Westra at the African Studies Centre Leiden; Biniyam Negash, Berhanu Deriba, ii Masho Legesse, Tewabech Kifle, and Zenebech Eguul at the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions; Girma Sheleme Sebsebe, Mulugeta Eshetu Abegaz, Sined Gulelet, Ayelech Habte, Enatalem Andarge, Meseret Wendimu, Adisalem Tafesse, and Bizunesh at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Mestawet Feyissa and Etsgenet Melaku at MoLSA library; Issayas Tesfamariam and Lisa Miller at the Hoover Institution Library and Archives; Jim Sam, who so helpfully reproduced and sent me digital recordings of Tom Killion's interviews; Jacques Rodriguez at the ILO historical archives; Dr Mark McQuinn at SOAS, University of London; Dr Haley Swedlund; Prof Fouad Makki; Prof John Markakis; and last, but certainly not least, I would like to extend my immense gratefulness to my family, friends, and comrades. iii To Carin and Daniel iv Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background and rationale ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objective ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Focus and scope .................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Research problem and questions ........................................................................................... 7 1.5 Research design, methods and sources ................................................................................. 8 1.6 Structure .............................................................................................................................. 12 1.7 Point of departure ................................................................................................................ 13 1.8 Research process, evolution and revisions ......................................................................... 16 1.9 Definitions, assumptions and prepositions ......................................................................... 18 1.10 Scientific importance and impact ..................................................................................... 22 2. Theoretical considerations and assessment of the literature ..................................................... 24 2.1 Conceptualising labour movements .................................................................................... 24 2.2 Dynamics of organised labour ............................................................................................ 25 2.2.1 Functions ...................................................................................................................... 25 2.2.2 Establishing orientation ............................................................................................... 28 2.3 Practices: labour unrest ....................................................................................................... 31 2.3.2 Outcomes of unrest ...................................................................................................... 32 2.3.1 Causes of unrest ........................................................................................................... 34 2.3.3 Reciprocities ................................................................................................................ 37 2.3.4 Establishing position: alternative determinants of wages ............................................ 38 2.4 Labour and trade union movements in Africa .................................................................... 41 2.5 The Ethiopian labour movement in the literature ............................................................... 44 3. Setting the context..................................................................................................................... 53 3.1 Social and historical setting ................................................................................................ 53 3.2 Surpluses and labour regimes in evolution ......................................................................... 56 3.2.1 Surpluses in Ethiopia ................................................................................................... 57 3.2.2 The legal regime .......................................................................................................... 61 3.2.3 Attendant practices....................................................................................................... 64 3.2.4 Labour conditions ........................................................................................................ 64 3.3 Wage labour and manufacturing in the Ethiopian political economy ................................ 66 3.3.1 Plans and ambitions ..................................................................................................... 67 3.3.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................... 70 3.3.3 The wage workers ........................................................................................................ 73 4. Organisation, movement and orientation: first cycle ................................................................ 76 4.1 Emergence and early times ................................................................................................. 76 4.2 External influences and the emergence of a labour bureaucracy ........................................ 81 4.3 Achievements and obstacles ............................................................................................... 87 4.4 Radicalisation and conflict .................................................................................................. 94 4.5 Revolution and aftermath .................................................................................................. 104 4.6 Confrontation and subjugation .......................................................................................... 113 4.7 Constraining factors .......................................................................................................... 123 4.8 Conducive factors ............................................................................................................. 130 5.