South African Federation of Trade Unions


The South African Federation of Trade Unions is a socialist trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 2017, and is the second largest of the country's main trade union confederations, with 21 affiliated trade unions organising 800,000 workers.

Politics

The federation describes its key political principles as worker control and democracy, anti-imperialism and socialism.

Affiliates

Current affiliates

The following unions were affiliated in 2021:
UnionAbbreviationFoundedMembership
Academic and Professional Staff AssociationAPSA1997
Chemical, Wood and Allied Workers' UnionCWAWU2010
Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers' UnionCSAAWU2007
Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers' Union of South AfricaDEMAWUSA201512,000
Democratic Postal and Communications' UnionDEPACU2014
Democratised Transport Logistics and Allied Workers' UnionDETAWU201510,000
Food and Allied Workers UnionFAWU198623,300
General Industries Workers' Union of South AfricaGIWUSA198921,500
Information Communication Technology UnionICTU2012
Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South AfricaMATUSA2015
National Union of Metalworkers of South AfricaNUMSA1987328,827
National Union of Public Service and Allied WorkersNUPSAW199848,000
South African Correctional Services Workers' UnionSACOSWU2009
South African Industrial, Commercial and Allied Workers' UnionSAICWU2016
Tirisano Transport and Services Workers' UnionTASWU2004
Transport, Retail and General Workers' UnionTHORN2010