Trade unions in Africa’s democratic renewal and transitions: An introduction

Abstract

Observers watched with fascination the outbreaks of protests, demonstrations, and demands for political liberalization and democracy in Africa in 1989-91. Discussions immediately sought to identify the crucial sources for this unprecedented upsurge in democratic sentiment and protests. Africa’s political landscape was decorated with decaying one-party systems, personal autocracies, and military regimes. This book had its origins in the observation that workers and trade unions were often among the earliest and most energetic demonstrators in the African countries experiencing democratic protests (Kraus 1995).