Originally published in 1975, this volume reassesses the historical, political and social role of African workers and examines the extent to which a working class has formed and undertaken collective action in various parts of Africa.

Workers and Progressive Change in Underdeveloped Countries Richard Sandbrook and Robin Cohen. Part 1: Initial Stirrings of Working Class Consciousness Introduction The Editors 1. The Formation of a Working Class in Kenya Sharon Stichter 2. The Creation of Group Consciouness: A History of the Dockworkers of Dar es Salaam John Iliffe 3. The Growth of Railway Unionism in the Rhodesias, 1944-55 Arthur Turner 4. Union-Party Relationships in Francophone West Africa: A Critique of ‘Téléguidage’ Interpretations C. H. Allen Part 2: Contemporary Working Class Organisations Introduction: The Editors 1. Unions, Workers and Consciousness in Kano, Nigeria: A View from Below Paul Lubeck 2. Economic Security and Industrial Unionism: A Nigerian Case Study Dorothy Remy 3. The Internal Dynamics of Trade Unions in Ghana Ukandi Damachi Part 3: Contemporary Working Class Action Introduction: The Editors 1. Case Studies in African Labour Action in South Africa and Namibia L. Douwes Dekker, D. Hemson, J.S. Kane-Berman, J. Lever and L. Schlemmer 2. Socialist Development and the Workers in Tanzania M. A. Bienefeld 3. Populist Tendencies in the Ghanaian Trade Union Movement Richard D. Jeffries 4. The Lagos Proletariat: Labour Aristocrats or Populist Militants Adrian Peace 5. The ‘Labour Aristocracy’ Thesis Reconsidered John S. Saul Conclusion: The Editors.