The South African Trades and Labour Council (SAT&LC) was a national trade union federation in South Africa.

History The federation was founded in 1930, when the South African Trades Union Council merged with the Cape Federation of Labour Unions. The federation was broadly split between the craft unions and mining unions, which generally only admitted white workers and took conservative positions; and a growing number of industrial unions, which admitted white, Asian and "coloured" members, and often worked closely with unions representing black workers.

In 1944, the federation adopted the Workers' Charter, which aimed to bring about a socialist government. In 1947, some unions of white workers resigned in opposition to the SAT&LC admitting black workers, and they formed the pro-apartheid Co-ordinating Council of South African Trade Unions. A further group of right-wing craft unions left in 1951 to form the South African Federation of Trade Unions.

In 1950, the Government of South Africa introduced the Suppression of Communism Act, which made it extremely difficult to maintain unions open to both black and white workers. The SAT&LC became increasingly divided, with some unions supporting the liberation of black workers, reform of the federation's discriminatory constitution, and the formation of local committees to organise all workers. Other unions, principally those craft unions already restricted to white workers, opposed these ideas. In 1954, they walked out of the federation's congress, and founded the new Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA), which did not accept black workers.

Nineteen SAT&LC affiliates refused to join the TUCSA, and instead former a Trade Union Co-ordinating Committee. In 1955, this merged with the Council of Non-European Trade Unions, to form the South African Congress of Trade Unions.

Affiliates The following unions were affiliated in 1947:

Union Abbreviation Founded Membership (1947) African Cement Workers' Union 147 African Commercial and Distributive Workers' Union 375 African Sweet Workers' Union 1937 325 Agricultural Workers' Federation 1,057 Amalgamated Bricklayers' Trade Union of South Africa 1,225 Amalgamated Engineering Union AEU 1893 7,608 Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers ASW 1881 3,793 Brewery Employees' Union 1929 225 Building Workers' Industrial Union BWIU 1916 7,334 Cape Explosive Industrial Workers' Union 1927 225 Cape Furniture Workers' Union 1,250 Cape Meat Trade Employees' Union 199 Cape Mineral Water Workers' Union 138 Cape Plywood Workers' Industrial Union 135 Cape Saw Mill Workers' Union 150 Cape Town Gas Workers' Union 60 Cape Town Lift Operators' Union 11 Cape Western District Bespoke Tailors' Union 300 Chemical and Allied Workers' Union 259 Chemical Workers' Union 1943 180 Concession Stores and Allied Trades Assistants' Union 1926 668 Durban Indian Municipal Employees' Society DIMES 1936 1,801 Durban Municipal Transport Employees' Union 1926 500 East London and Border Furniture Workers' Union 145 East London Transport Workers' Union 84 Explosive and Fertiliser Workers' Union 750 Food and Canning Workers' Union FCWU 1941 2,025 Food, Canning and Allied Workers' Union 540 Furniture Workers' Industrial Union (Natal) 1930 807 Furniture Workers' Industrial Union (Transvaal) FWIU 1925 1,610 Garment Workers' Industrial Union GWIU 1934 2,180 Garment Workers' Union GWUSA 1909 11,870 General Building Workers' Union 135 Glass Workers' Union GWU 1943 359 Glass Manufacturing Workers' Union 56 Hotel, Bar and Catering Trade Employees' Union HB&CTEA 1,050 Iron Moulders' Society of South Africa IMS 1896 1,182 Jewellers' and Goldsmiths' Society J&G 1939 180 Johannesburg Municipal Transport Workers' Union JMTWU 1935 1,750 Match Workers' Union 1944 93 Match Workers' Industrial Union 150 Mineral Water Workers' Union 1944 75 Motor Industry Employees' Union MIEU 1939 4,753 Natal Liquor and Catering Trade Employees' Union NL&CTEU 1928 875 Natal Sugar Industry Employees' Union 1938 887 National Baking Industrial Union 1927 354 National Union of Laundering, Cleaning and Dyeing Workers NULCDW 1940 575 National Union of Commercial Travellers 1937 1,274 National Union of Distributive Workers NUDW 1936 7,420 Oil and Petrol Employees' Union 944 Operative Plasterers' Trade Union of South Africa 248 Optical Workers' Union 59 Picture Framing Workers' Industrial Union 9 Port Elizabeth Non-European Municipal Workers' Union 193 Port Elizabeth Tram and Bus Workers' Union 1930 329 Pretoria Liquor and Catering Trade Employees' Union 1925 160 Pretoria Municipal Tram and Bus Workers' Union 1942 329 Pretoria Retail Meat Trade Employees' Union 92 Public Service and Provincial Council Workers' Union 796 Rope and Mat Workers' Industrial Union 1937 177 Shoe and Leather Repairer Workers' Union (Cape) 97 Shoe and Leather Repairer Workers' Union (Port Elizabeth) 27 South African Association of Municipal Employees SAAME 1919 7,519 South African Boilermakers' Society SABS 1916 2,501 South African Canvas and Rope Workers' Union SAC&RWU 1926 180 South African Canvas and Rope Workers' Union (Cape) 35 South African Electrical Workers' Association SAEWA 1939 3,784 South African Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Association SAED&FA 1894 2,616 South African Hairdressers' Employees' Industrial Union SAHEIU 1944 1,788 South African Iron and Steel Trades Association ISTA 1936 1,788 South African Mine Workers' Union MWU 1902 17,500 South African Reduction Workers' Association SARWA 1924 2,500 South African Society of Bank Officials SASBO 1916 5,300 South African Tin Workers' Union SATWU 1939 1,843 South African Typographical Union SATU 1898 7,088 Sweet Workers' Union SWU 1926 1,843 Tailoring Workers' Industrial Union 1934 725 Tea, Coffee and Chicory Industry Employees' Union 1943 94 Tea, Coffee and Chicory Industry Employees' Union (Cape) 67 Textile Workers' Industrial Union TWIU 1935 1,625 Timber Workers' Union 75 Tin Workers' Union 263 Tobacco Workers' Union 1928 1,005 Tramway and Omnibus Workers' Union TOWU 933 Transvaal Explosives and Chemical Workers' Union 1925 480 Transvaal Leather and Allied Trades Industrial Union TL&ATIU 1928 1,651 Transvaal Retail Meat Trade Employees' Union 1938 410 Trawler and Line Fishermen's Union 175 Twine and Bag Workers' Union 1942 113 Umbogintwini Industrial Workers' Union 72 Wholesale Meat Factory and Cold Storage Workers' Industrial Union 58 Witwatersrand Banking Employees' Association 1934 420 Witwatersrand Liquor and Catering Trade Employees' Union Wit Liquor 1926 370 Witwatersrand Taxi Drivers' Union 1941 97 Witwatersrand Tea Room, Restaurant and Catering Trade Employees' Union 1930 994

General Secretaries 1930: William H. Andrews 1932: Alexander Gordon Forsyth 1937: Willie de Vries 1948: Alexander Gordon Forsyth 1951: Harry Boyder and Dulcie Hartwell 1953: Dulcie Hartwell

References