The role of women in labour stabilisation at Mufulilra mine, 1930 to 1964
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Date
2011-10-05
Authors
Sakala, Foster
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Abstract
This study examines the role that women played in the stabilisation of the African ahour force at Mufulira mine between 1930 and 1064. 1930 is significant to this study because that was Ihe year in. which the company, Mufulira Copper Mines Limited (M.C.M. Ltd), was incorporated while 1964 signified the end of colonial rule and its policies, which were detrimental not only to the development of Africans in the territory as a whole, particularly those who went out to work in industry, but also their women folk whom the government pretended did not exist.
This study, therefore, is devoted to bringing out the role that women played in labour stabilisation at Mufulira mine and contends that the explanation of this phenomenon lies in the neglected issue of women's reproductive labour which served to maintain mine employees on a daily basis through domestic and sexual services as well as generation reproduction of a future labour force. We further argue that although wives were a major factor in inducing stabilisation, unmarried (or unattached women) played an equally important role as the}' also participated in the general reproductive roles assigned in women.
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Keywords
Women -- Mufulira , Labour and labouring classes -- Zambia , Stabilisation -- Labour -- Mufulira