The Black Allied Workers' Union (BAWU) was a

national trade union federation A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...

in South Africa. The federation was established on 27 August 1972, on the initiative of the

South African Students' Organisation The South African Students' Organisation (SASO) was a body of black South African university students who resisted apartheid through non-violent political action. The organisation was formed in 1969 under the leadership of Steve Biko and Barney P ...

. It worked closely with the

Black People's Convention The Black People's Convention (BPC) was a national coordinating body for the Black Consciousness movement of South Africa. Envisaged as a broad-based counterpart to the South African Students' Organisation, the BPC was active in organising resis ...

, and was part of the

Black Consciousness Movement The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Afri ...

. It argued for an independent trade union movement of and led by black workers. As such, it refused to work with the

Trade Union Council of South Africa The Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA) was a national trade union federation in South Africa. History The council was founded in October 1954 by 61 unions which split from the South African Trades and Labour Council. They decided that on ...

, which was led by white workers and had at times expelled unions of black workers, and while some members had links with the

South African Congress of Trade Unions The South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) was a national trade union federation in South Africa. History The federation was established in March 1955, after right wing unions dissolved the South African Trades and Labour Council in 1954 to ...

, BAWU's leadership disliked its non-racial approach. Membership of BAWU's affiliated unions grew from 2,000 in 1974 to 6,000 in 1976, but then struggled as most of its leaders were banned in 1977. In 1978, many members in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

and

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

split to form the

South African Allied Workers' Union The South African Allied Workers' Union (SAAWU) was a general union in South Africa. The union was founded in 1978 as a split from the Black Allied Workers' Union by workers in Durban. It described itself as a federation, with a union in each in ...

. In 1980, the branches in

Empangeni Empangeni is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is approximately 157 kilometres north of Durban, in hilly countryside, overlooking a flat coastal plain and the major harbour town of Richards Bay 16 kilometres away. The N2 freeway runs east ...

and

Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to: * Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada * Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States * Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia * Ladysmith, Virginia, United States * Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...

split away to form the

National Federation of Workers The National Federation of Workers (NFW) was a national trade union federation in South Africa. The federation was established in 1980, as a split from the Black Allied Workers' Union. Based in Durban, it was led by Matthew Oliphant and Themba Nx ...

, followed by the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

region, which became the

General and Allied Workers' Union 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. In 1980, Rita Ndzanga and Mary Ntsike led a split which became GAWU. ...

. Despite the splits, BAWU claimed 51,000 members in 1981, organised in fifteen affiliates: * Black Allied Air Railway Workers' Union * Black Allied Building and Construction Workers' Union * Black Allied Chemical and Petroleum Workers' Union * Black Allied Electrical Workers' Union * Black Allied Iron, Steel, Metal and Engineering Workers' Union * Black Allied Meat Suppliers Workers' Union * Black Allied Mines and Tunnel Workers' Union * Black Allied Municipality Workers' Union * Black Allied Nurses' Union * Black Allied Rubber and Tyre Workers' Union * Black Allied Shops and Offices Union * Black Allied Sugar Cane Workers' Union * Black Allied Teachers' Union * Black Allied Transport and Goods Union * Black Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers' Union The federation moved into a loose alliance with the

Inkatha Freedom Party The Inkatha Freedom Party ( zu, IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko, IFP) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. The party has been led by Velenkosini Hlabisa since the party's 2019 National General Conference. Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded t ...

, and in 1986 it was replaced by the

United Workers' Union of South Africa The United Workers' Union of South Africa (UWUSA) was a general union in South Africa. The union was launched in Durban on 1 May 1986 by Mangosuthu Buthelezi. It was closely linked with the Inkatha Freedom Party, and was opposed to the recently ...

.{{cite book , last1=Baskin , first1=Jeremy , title=Striking back: A history of COSATU , date=1991 , publisher=Verso , location=London , isbn=0860913457 , pages=19, 72

References

Black Consciousness Movement National trade union centres of South Africa Trade unions established in 1972