The South African Footplate Staff Association (SAFSA) was a

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

representing white railway workers in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The union was founded in 1905, as the Locomotive Engineers' Mutual Aid Society. It was initially focused on the Cape, but by the 1920s had 1,500 members across the country. It affiliated to the

Federal Consultative Council of South African Railways and Harbours Staff Associations The Federal Consultative Council of South African Railways and Harbours Staff Associations (FCC) was a national trade union federation bringing together unions representing white railway workers in South Africa. The council was established in 1928 ...

(FCC), and by 1962 it had 9,896 members. In 1975, the other FCC members affiliated to the

South African Confederation of Labour The South African Confederation of Labour (SACOL) was a national trade union federation of white workers in South Africa. History The federation was established in 1957, as a loose body bringing together the South African Federation of Trade Unions ...

, but SAFSA decided against joining. In 1976, SAFSA formed the South African Central Labour Organisation with the Amalgamated Engineering Union of South Africa, but it proved unsuccessful, and in 1982 the union instead joined the Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA). By 1980, it had 9,331 members, all of whom were white. In 1984, SAFSA resigned from TUCSA, later joining the

Federation of South African Labour Unions The Federation of South African Labour Unions (FEDSAL) was a national trade union federation in South Africa. History The federation was established in 1959, as the Federation of Salaried Staff Associations, by four unions representing white-colla ...

, and then its successor, the

Federation of Unions of South Africa The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) is the second largest national trade union center in South Africa. History The federation was founded on 1 April 1997, when the Federation of South African Labour Unions merged with the Federa ...

. It began accepting all workers, and in 1998 it absorbed the Democratic Labour Union of South Africa, which mainly represented black workers. In 2000, it merged with the

Technical Workers' Union The Artisan Staff Association (ASA) was a trade union representing higher-paid technical railway workers in South Africa. The union was established in 1924, on the initiative of the National Shop Stewards' Association. It attempted to register w ...

, to form the

United Transport and Allied Trade Union The United Transport and Allied Trade Union (UTATU) was a trade union representing workers in the transport industry in South Africa. The union was established in 2000, when the South African Footplate Staff Association merged with the Technica ...

.{{cite web , title=UNTU History , url=https://www.untu.co.za/history-utatu-sarwhu/ , website=UNTU , access-date=1 April 2021

References

Railway labor unions Trade unions established in 1905 Trade unions disestablished in 2000 Trade unions in South Africa