The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) is a trade union representing workers in the food processing industry in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The union was formed in 1986, through the amalgamation of the

Food and Canning Workers' Union The Food and Canning Workers' Union (FCWU) was a trade union representing food processing workers in South Africa. Its members were mainly based in the Western and Eastern Cape. It was affiliate with the African Food and Canning Workers' Union (AFC ...

, the Sweet, Food and Allied Workers' Union and the

Retail and Allied Workers' Union Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

. In 2004, the union absorbed the South African Agricultural Plantation and Allied Workers Union. The union was long affiliated to the

Congress of South African Trade Unions The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is a trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 1985 and is the largest of the country's three main trade union federations, with 21 affiliated trade unions.One Union expelled, ...

, but it resigned in 2016, in protest at the expulsion of the

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is the biggest single trade union in South Africa with more than 338,000 members, and prior to its expulsion on 8 November 2014, the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African T ...

(NUMSA). In 2017, it was a founding affiliate of the

South African Federation of Trade Unions The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) is a trade union federation in South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the s ...

(SAFTU), becoming that federation's second largest affiliate.

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1986: Mike Madlala :1986: Jan Theron :1988: Mandla Gxanyana :2004: Katishi Masemola :2020: Mayoyo Mngomezulu

Presidents

:1986:

Chris Dlamini Christopher Ndodebandla Dlamini (born 10 October 1944 – 19 November 2009) was a South African trade union leader. Dlamini grew up in Benoni and Springs. He became aware of the African National Congress at an early age, and saw himself a ...

:1990s: E. Theron :Phillip Khage

References

Trade unions in South Africa Food processing trade unions Trade unions established in 1986 {{SouthAfrica-trade-union-stub