Northern Rhodesian African Mineworkers' Union

The AMU was formed in 1949, and campaigned actively to improve working conditions and wages for African miners, as well as opposing racial discrimination in hiring.

[1] In 1940 following a successful strike by European mine employees, violent clashes occurred in which 17 African miners were killed and 69 injured.

[4][5] The primary issue during the early years of the union was the practice of reserving skilled jobs for white employees, known as the industrial colour bar.

[2] In the 1950s the major mining companies, with the support of the Colonial Office, began attempting to replace the skilled European mineworkers with African workers.

[7] Ronald Prain, the Chairman of the Rhodesian Selection Trust, announced they would break the industrial colour bar in 1953, and end the equal pay condition imposed by the unions.

[8] Contrary to the expectations of the Northern Rhodesian Government and mining companies, the AMU sought increases in wages for all mineworkers, rather than focussing solely on further breaking down the colour bar.

[10] In response to a series of strikes throughout the Copperbelt during 1956 the government declared a state of emergency, arresting and banishing the leaders of the AMU from the region.

[10] The union declined to participate in a planned strike by the Congress in 1953 to protest the establishment of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.