Engineering Industrial Workers' Union Explained

The Engineering Industrial Workers' Union (EIWU) was a trade union representing engineering workers in South Africa.

The Iron and Steel and Metal Workers' Union became the No 5 branch of the Amalgamated Engineering Union of South Africa (AEU) in 1947.^[1] However, the expelled its non-white members in 1957. They joined the now-independent No 5 branch en masse, and in 1961 this founded the Engineering Industrial Workers' Union.^[2] It affiliated to the Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA), and grew rapidly: from 430 members in 1962,^[3] to 11,849 in 1980.^[4]

The union resigned from TUCSA in 1985, in protest at its focus on white workers. It renamed itself as the Engineering, Industrial and Mining Workers' Union. On 1 August 1995, it merged with the AEU, the Iron Moulders' Society of South Africa, and the South African Boilermakers' Society, to form the National Employees' Trade Union.^{[5] [6]}

References

1. Book: Padayachee . Vishnu . Vawda . Shahid . Tichmann . Paul . Indian workers and trade unions in Durban: 1930-1950 . 1985 . University of Durban-Westville . Durban . 0949947717 . 25 April 2021.
2. Book: Webster . Eddie . Cast in a Racial Mould . 1985 . Ravan Press . 9780869752852.
3. Book: Wirtz . W. Willard . Directory of Labor Organizations: Africa . 1966 . Bureau of International Labor Affairs . Washington DC . 39.25 - 39.28.
4. Book: Miller . Shirley . Trade Unions in South Africa 1970-1980: a directory and statistics . 1982 . Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit . Cape Town . 0799204692.
5. Book: Finnemore . Martheanne . Introduction to labour relations in South Africa . 1997 . Butterworths . 9780409027969.
6. Book: Steenkamp . C. L. . THE RESTRUCTURING PROCESS OF THE SAMANCOR MANGANESE MINES (MAY 2000 -JUNE 2001) . 2004 . North West University . Potchefstroom.