The Mines African Staff Association (MASA) was a Northern Rhodesian

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

which existed between 1953 and 1967. It represented black African salaried employees in Northern Rhodesia's mining industry.

History

Senior African employees first considered forming their own union in 1948, but were discouraged by government officials tasked with establishing trade union representation for black mineworkers, who considered that having multiple unions would undermine the African workers' bargaining position with the employers. The MASA was first recognized by the companies following the major strikes of 1955, led by the rival

African Mineworkers' Union The Northern Rhodesian African Mineworkers' Union (A.M.U.) was a trade union in Northern Rhodesia which represented black African miners in the Copperbelt. The AMU was formed in 1949, and campaigned actively to improve working conditions and wag ...

(AMU). The AMU aimed to be an

industrial union Industrial unionism is a trade union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in ...

for all African miners in Northern Rhodesia, and regarded the MASA as a company union which divided the African workforce for the benefit of the mining companies.

References

Trade unions in Zambia Defunct trade unions of Africa Mining trade unions Trade unions established in 1953 Trade unions disestablished in 1967 1953 establishments in Northern Rhodesia 1967 disestablishments in Africa {{Zambia-stub