General and Allied Workers' Union

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The General and Allied Workers' Union (GAWU) was a general union in South Africa.

Background

The union originated as the Transvaal section of the Black Allied Workers' Union. [1] : 344  In 1980, Rita Ndzanga and Mary Ntsike led a split which resulted in the formation of GAWU. It formed as a non-racial union. [1] : 344  Its members were made up of people from the brush and copper industries, mining house office workers, cleaners, scooter drivers, and petrol and transport workers. [1] : 344  Numerous local South African Congress of Trade Unions activists also joined, including Samson Ndou, Ephraim Shabangu, Samuel Pholoto and Sydney Mufamadi. [2] [3]

By 1985, the union had 19,076 members. That year, it was a founding affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions. [4] In 1987, it merged with the Health and Allied Workers' Union and the South African Allied Workers' Union, to form the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union. [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Davies, Rob; O'Meara, Dan; Dlamini, Sipho (1984). The Struggle for South Africa. Vol. 2. London: Zed Books. ISBN   0862322561 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ The road to democracy in South Africa (PDF). South African Democracy Education Trust. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "COSATU turns 20!". NUMSA. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Bendix, Sonia (1996). Industrial Relations in the New South Africa. Cape Town: Creda Press. ISBN   0702134538.
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