Lineages of Minimum Wages in Ethiopia

In 2019, a new labour proclamation in Ethiopia established provisions for the introduction of minimum wages, responding to a demand that Ethiopian trade unions have repeatedly raised since the early 1960s. This article traces the evolution of that demand, examining how it has been articulated, the types of minimum wages envisioned and the varied responses of state authorities. It explores the strategies, contestations and international support that have shaped the struggle, as well as the shifting political-economic contexts that often produced unfavourable outcomes for labour. Since the mechanisms to set minimum wages provided for in the 2019 proclamation have not yet been implemented, an examination of the lineages of the minimum wages debate in Ethiopia and the struggle to implement them can offer lessons on the many pitfalls and obstacles ahead. The article argues that progress towards meaningful minimum wage provisions is driven by contestation and struggle.