Abstract

Union formation and joining is one of the fundamental rights. To enable unions to genuinely protect member interests, their administration must be free from control, domination or interference either from employers or the government. This article discusses the emergence of new type of unionism in Asia and Africa, a unionism, dependent on political support and politically oriented. In some newly developing countries in past few years, a spectrum of over-all union government relationships has developed, which ranges from government sponsorship and control of unions to informal executive protection of those independent unions, which are interested to give up their sectional interests to the government strategies of economic development and political control. Among the British colonies in Asia and Africa, a great deal of diversity in public labor policies can be found. Those unions, which choose not to fall in line with the government must face government repression. Those which choose to take an independent path, are forced to safeguard themselves by aligning with the structured political parties of opposition. In either case union acquires political features. The author concludes that despite the precariousness of unions' loyalties to their governments and the potential dangers of their excessive political involvement, any radical changes in the government's approach to industrial relations or in the unions' perception of their goals are unlikely.