Self-organized informal workers and trade union initiatives in Malawi: Process, challenges and directions of organizing the informal economy

Abstract:
This study compares self-organising by informal workers with trade union initiatives of organising in the informal economy in Malawi. Street vendors associations are used as examples of the prior, and Malawi Union for the Informal Sector (MUFIS) and the Construction, Industrial and Allied Workers Unions (CIAWU) of the former.
The two street vendors‟ associations studied emerged in the mid-1990s out of a spontaneous mobilization for rights to trade in the streets. The associations have then been engaging with the local government and the general public, promoting a more positive image of street trade. In addition to advocacy, the associations have developed insurance schemes for their members. MUFIS is characterized as a „non-workers‟ union that represents vendors, job seekers, pensioners and widows. CIAWU has only recently started expanding its membership to informal economy. Both unions are members of Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) and have similar organising strategies that depend on donor funding from international networks. They have provided members with training in business management, access to financial services, and advocacy for the rights of informal workers.