ABSTRACT
Africa had been preparing the ground for major change for many years when structural adjustment and its stablemate, neo-liberalism, came onto the scene in the early 1980s. From the 1980s onwards, African governments were forced to agree Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) with international funders. The social consequences of these programmes were dramatic and governments gradually lost control; in particular, SAPs undermined the social bases that governments had in the towns and cities. Democracy has made huge strides in Africa, but sadly the concluding years of the 20th century have also been marked by a persistent decline in African people’s living conditions. African trade unions played an important part in the struggle for independence in African countries, and collaborated closely with African political parties. If trade unions have made a stronger commitment to the process of democratisation than other social forces, this is because they are a unique component of civil society and are well equipped for the task.
