Benjamin Jennings Caddy (November 1881 – 13 March 1955) was an Australian-born South African trade unionist. Born in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vi ...

, Caddy emigrated to South Africa in 1898. The

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

broke out soon after, and Caddy fought on the British side. After the war, he worked as a boilermaker, and 1904 joined the UK-based

United Society of Boilermakers The Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (ASB) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. Many of its members worked in shipbuilding, in which industry it was the leading trade union, while over tim ...

. He became prominent during strikes held in 1913 and 1914, and in 1916 he was a leading founder of the new

South African Boilermakers' Society The South African Boilermakers', Iron and Steel Workers', Shipbuilders' and Welders' Society (SABS) was a trade union representing metalworkers and shipbuilders in South Africa. History The union was established in 1916. Many of its founding mem ...

(SABS). In 1920, he was elected as general secretary of the union, serving until 1950. In 1919, Caddy was part of a group of workers who seized control of the

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

municipal services, and attempted to run them. He was also prominent in the 1922

Rand Rebellion The Rand Rebellion ( af, Rand-rebellie; also known as the 1922 strike) was an armed uprising of white miners in the Witwatersrand region of South Africa, in March 1922. Jimmy Green, a prominent politician in the Labour Party, was one of ...

, and was imprisoned for a time. In 1929, he attended the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

conference in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

, as an advisor to Bill Andrews. He helped found the Mining Unions Joint Committee, chairing it from 1939 until 1951. He also founded and chaired the South African Trade Union Building Society, and was vice-chair of the South African Trade Union Assurance Society. Caddy supported South African involvement in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, serving on the Munitions Production Committee and the Manpower Control Board. In 1954, he played a leading role in founding 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 ...

, and was made its life president. In 1953, he was awarded the Coronation Medal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caddy, Ben 1881 births 1955 deaths Australian emigrants to South Africa People from Ballarat South African trade union leaders