Trade unions in Morocco: national unity, political struggle, and trade union fragmentation in the independent state, 1955-1978

Abstract

This thesis explores the history of Moroccan trade unionism in the two decades that followed the country’s independence in March 1956. The research predominantly focuses on the period from the establishment of the Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) in 1955 to the creation of Confédération Démocratique du Travail (CDT) in 1978. The research closely examines the day-to-day interactions of the UMT, the monarchy, and the political parties, contextualising the history of Morocco’s trade union movement into the main political events that marked the first two decades of the country's independence. Drawing on a wide range of different primary sources – including archival documentation of Moroccan unions, international union confederations, international labour organisations, and foreign diplomatic missions in Morocco – the research provides new insights into the complex and nuanced entanglement of trade unions with other external actors, exploring the extent to which trade unionism positioned itself as a powerful force able to challenge to hegemonic ambitions of those in power.