Skip to content
ZILARD logo ZILARD Zambia Institute for Labour Research and Development

Home / Research & Publications

Research library

Research & Publications

Our research portfolio and published outputs, organised by theme and year.

Reports & Publications

Research report

Study on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Working Life in Zambia

March 2023 · Youth Employment, Gender, and Informality

Research on employment barriers, discrimination, workplace accessibility, career development, and trade-union representation for persons with disabilities in Zambia, informing a pilot initiative on disability-inclusive …

Read publication →
Research report

Trade Unions and Trade

November 2021 · Labour Market Research and Analysis

Research examining continental free-trade agreements and informal employment in Zambia's manufacturing sector, focusing on informal workers' participation, representation, access to finance, labour rights, and …

Read publication →
Research report

Rights-Based Social Protection in Africa: Zambia Baseline Study

January 2020 · Youth Employment, Gender, and Informality

A baseline study mapping existing informal-economy structures in Zambia and assessing their specific needs, including social-protection options for informal workers such as market traders.

Read publication →

Research Portfolio

A listed research activity is a record of work undertaken -- it is not automatically a published, downloadable report. Where a report is available, the entry links to it.

2026 · Ongoing

Assessment of Labour Rights, Occupational Health and Safety, and Environmental Impacts along the Lobito Corridor

Funded by the Southern African Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC)

Assessing the extent to which workers' rights are protected along the Lobito Corridor (Angola, Zambia, DRC) -- compliance with labour laws, working …

Read more →
2025 · Completed

Development of the Shop Steward Organizing Tool

Funded by the Solidarity Centre

Developed a shop-steward organising manual to strengthen worker representation and workplace organising -- equipping shop stewards with practical guidance, strategies, and resources …

Read more →
2024 · Completed

Advancing Workers' Rights on China's Belt and Road Initiative in Zambia

Funded by the Solidarity Centre

Explored the implications of Chinese investment under the Belt and Road Initiative for labour rights in Zambia, addressing concerns about working conditions …

Read more →
2024 · Completed

Organizing Workers in the Rural Economy and Plantations in Zambia: A Focus on Sugar Plantations

Funded by the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Aimed to improve labour conditions and organisation among workers in Zambia's rural sugar plantations, contributing to efforts to enhance living standards in …

Read more →
2023 · Completed

Study on Chinese Investment and Working Conditions

Funded by the Solidarity Centre

Examined labour practices within Chinese-run enterprises in Zambia, highlighting poor health and safety standards and excessive working hours.

Read more →
2022 · Completed

Study on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Working Life in Zambia

Funded by the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK), with member unions JHL and OAJ

Researched employment barriers, discrimination, workplace accessibility, career development, and trade-union representation for persons with disabilities, to promote inclusive employment practices.

Read more →
2021 · Completed

Trade Unions and Trade

Prepared with ITUC-Africa cooperation and SASK support

Examined continental free-trade agreements and informal employment in Zambia's manufacturing sector -- informal workers' participation, representation, access to finance, labour rights, and …

Read more →
2020 · Completed

Baseline Study to Map Existing Informal Economy Structures in Zambia and their Specific Needs

Funded by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)

Identified key stakeholders and assessed social-protection mechanisms for informal workers across five provinces, revealing a significant informal sector characterised by a weak …

Read more →
2019 · Completed

Study on the Minimum Wage

Funded by the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)

Examined the impact of minimum-wage legislation on domestic workers in Zambia, highlighting challenges in enforcement and compliance within the informal sector.

Read more →
2018 · Completed

Disaggregation of Data by Age and Sex of All ZCTU Affiliates

Funded by the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)

Analysed membership demographics across all ZCTU affiliates to inform targeted labour policies and promote inclusive representation.

Read more →