This book offers a comprehensive history of the Ethiopian labour movement, exploring the impact of trade unions on workers’ agency from the 1960s until today. The author analyses the sharp variation in the orientation and vicissitudes of Ethiopian trade unions over time, and how these affected labour conditions and workers’ income. Drawing from new data gathered through extensive archival research and interviews in Ethiopia, this book is the first of its kind. It includes new datasets on strikes, unrest, and wage levels, shedding light on how capitalist labour and industrial relations have developed in Ethiopia, a country where formal wage labour has not been the dominant form of labour. Addressing a huge gap in the literature on African labour movements, this book makes a significant contribution to debates on wage determination, and challenges existing assumptions through detailed investigation.