The South African Chemical Workers' Union (SACWU) is a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

representing workers in the chemical industry 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 south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. The union was founded in 1973 and affiliated to the Consultative Committee, a loose grouping of trade unions. It was initially very small, and had grown to only 960 members by 1979. In 1980, it affiliated to the new Council of Unions of South Africa, and grew rapidly, with 9,479 members by the end of the year. In 1986, it transferred to the new National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU), at which point it had 30,000 members. By 1994, SACWU was NACTU's largest affiliate, its membership being similar to that of the rival Chemical Workers' Industrial Union. In 2011, its membership was about 30,000.

References

{{Trade unions in South Africa navbox Chemical industry Trade unions established in 1973 Trade unions in South Africa