Building Alliances Between Formal and Informal Workers: Experiences from Africa

Abstract:
This book chapter provides an overview of relations between trade unions and informal workers organizations in Africa. Examples are drawn from South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Ghana, and in a larger extent – Mozambique. It is argued that cooperation between trade unions and informal workers‟ organizations is not common, but that they do exist in a variety of arrangements in different contexts. In Mozambique, an informal vendors association, ASSOTSI, is a fully affiliated member of a national trade union federation. ASSOTSI organizes vendors by dealing with practical aspects of managing market places and by advocating for the rights of informal workers.