Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the connections between Zambian and Yugoslav trade unions, focusing on the transfer of material aid and knowledge exchanges in the early 1960s Cold War just before the independence of Northern Rhodesia (Zambia).

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the connections between Zambian and Yugoslav trade unions in the Cold War 1960s. It argues that trade unions served as important organizations for establishing initial contacts and facilitating the transmission of material aid and knowledge exchange before the independent Zambian government established official bilateral contacts with Socialist Yugoslavia in 1964. Through key ‘hubs of decolonization’ such as the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam, Zambian trade union officials, in close contact with leaders of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), sought to receive material support (typewriters, officie supplies, vehicles, monies) from Yugoslav trade unions, but also to draw inspiration from the system of workers’ self-management and union-party relations in a socialist republic through study tours in Yugoslavia. Zambian trade union officials also successfully applied for scholarships for technical training and universities in Yugoslavia, showing that they were influential not only in the world of work, but also in areas such as diplomacy and education. Last but not least, closer ties with Zambian trade union and party officials enabled Yugoslav trade union representatives to travel widely in the region through these ‘hubs of decolonization’ to understand the challenges of an incipient independent government and trade unions in future Zambia through on-the-ground inquiries.