The Sweet Workers' Union (SWU) was a small but long-lived union representing confectionery workers in South Africa.

In 1925, a Women Workers' Union was established by F. Klenerman. It affiliated to the South African Trades Union Congress (SATUC), but as a general union, it was prohibited from registering with the government. As it only had membership in two industries, in 1926 it split into the Waitresses' Union and the Sweet Makers' Union. It had about 200 members, which represented 75% of the sweet makers in Johannesburg.[1] It remained affiliated when the SATUC merged into the South African Trades and Labour Council.[2] In the late 1930s, the union was led by Dulcie Hartwell, and in 1937, E. J. Burford established a parallel African Sweet Workers' Union to represent black labourers in the industry.[3]

In 1939, the Garment Workers' Union of South Africa helped the union expand nationwide,[4] and by 1947, it had grown to 1,843 members.[2] It was associated with the left wing of the movement, and in 1951, its secretary, H. Le Roux, was banned by the government.[4]

Unlike most unions in South Africa, the union continued accepting white, "coloured" and Asian members. Its membership had declined to only 298 in 1979, but in 1980, it affiliated to the Trade Union Council of South Africa and began accepting black members, its membership growing to 1,396 by the end of the year.[5] In 1997, it was a founding affiliate of the Federation of Unions of South Africa.[6] It was dissolved in 2005.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Gitsham, Ernest; Trembath, James H. (1926). A first account of labour organisation in South Africa (PDF). Durban: E. P. & Commercial Printing. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 Lewis, Jon (1984). Industrialisation and Trade Union Organization in South Africa, 1924-1955. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521263123.
  3. ↑ Alexander, Peter (2000). Workers, War & the Origins of Apartheid. J. Currey. ISBN 9780852557655.
  4. 1 2 Touyz, Brian Martin (1982). WHITE LABOUR AND THE 'SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC' MOVEMENT IN THE TRANSVAAL; THE SOUTH AFRICAN LABOUR PARTY, THE SOUTH AFRICAN TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL AND THEIR TRADE UNION AFFILIATES, 1930 - 1954 (PDF). Cape Town: University of Cape Town. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ↑ Miller, Shirley (1982). Trade Unions in South Africa 1970-1980: a directory and statistics. Cape Town: Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit. ISBN 0799204692.
  6. ↑ "FEDUSA: Working for the nation" (PDF). South African History Online. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION OF TRADE UNIONS RESULTING FROM THE 2002 LRA AMENDMENTS". South African Labour Guide. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
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