Authoritarianism, democracy and industrial relations in southern Africa: Contrasting state responses to economic development and human rights dilemma in Malawi

This paper examines the differing ways in which the one-party dictatorial state, which reigned in Malawi during 1966-1991, and the multiparty democratic state (from 1992) dealt with economic development objectives and labour rights. While the two state formations handled labour relations differently, their anti-union attitude remains largely similar. Although the democratic state has, in principle been positive to unionism, at the level of practice, a wider discrepancy exists between law provision ad practices.  Widely shared by most Southern African states, this phenomenon is explained in terms of the role of the state in economic development and the dilemma it faces in dealing with national development objectives and human rights.