BC 721 THE FOOD AND CANNING WORKERS UNION ARCHIVE  

Manuscripts & Archives

University of Cape Town Libraries

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The Food and Canning Workers Union Archive was deposited in the UCT Libraries by the Union in 1982.

Researchers require written permission from the General Secretary or any national office bearer of the Union, before being allowed to consult the Archive.

The Archive comprises the official records of the Union dating from the 1940s (the Food, Canning and Allied Workers Union (Cape) was formed on 6 February 1941) to 1986, when the FCWU amalgamated with the Sweet Food and Allied Workers Union to form the Food and Allied Workers Union. The records include annual reports; minutes of meetings and conferences; correspondence between head office and branches, with the Divisional Inspector of Labour, the Conciliation Board, the Wage Board and the Department of Manpower. There are de­tailed records regarding wage and recognition agreements, strikes, disputes and wage negotiations with individual firms.

There is also a certain amount of information on organisations such as SACTU, SATLC, SATUC and COSATU.

The records of the African Food and Canning Workers Union are not as complete as those of the FCWU. It was originally one union until 1947 when the union was forced by state pressure to form a racially separate union. In 1985 the two unions were formally united once more.

The records of the FCWU enable researchers to obtain detailed in­formation about the lives of ordinary workers in various food canning, packaging and processing industries, and their struggle for a living wage, housing, medical and other benefits.

Reference: Goode, R. For a better life: the Food and Canning Workers' Union, 1941-75. UCT Centre for African Studies. Africa Seminar, 31.8.1983

BC 721 FOOD AND CANNING WORKERS UNION ARCHIVE

A            NATIONAL MINUTES, CONFERENCES etc

Annual reports, 1948-1977

Circular letters, 1945-1988 (incomplete)

Central Executive Committee Minutes, 1946 - October 1953 Management Committee Minutes, Feb 1954-1984

Annual National Conferences. Minutes, correspondence, reports resolutions, etc, 1944-1985

Annual General Meeting Minutes, 1951-54, 1957 National Executive Council Minutes, 1953-1981, 1986 Special Conferences and Special Members Meetings, 1958-1966, 1982

B            BRANCH MINUTES, CONFERENCES etc

Quarterly Branch Delegates Conference Minutes, 1948-1953 Ashton - Minutes, 1953-54

Cape Town - Executive Committee and Shopstewards Meeting, 1947-1964 Members General Meeting minutes, 1947-1964

Daljosophat - Executive Committee minutes, 1965-1975 Members meeting, 1968-1974, 1976 Eerste River - Executive Committee minutes, 1957 Groot Drakenstein - Minutes, 1950-1955

Mossel Bay - Minutes, 1949-1953

Paarl - Executive Committee and Shopstewards meetings, 1950-1978 Members Annual General Meeting minutes, 1951-1977 Members General Meeting minutes, 1950-1964

Management Committee minutes, 1970 Port Elizabeth - Executive Committee, 1952-1957 Special General Meetings minutes, 1953-1957 Annual General Meetings minutes, 1953 Management Committee minutes, 1956

Annual conference, 1953

Robertson - Minutes, 1946-1950

Transvaal - Branch Executive minutes, 1962 West Coast - Minutes, 1955

C            CORRESPONDENCE

Branch Correspondence

Ashton, 1949-1979, 1986 Berg River Mouth, 1948-1966 Bonnievale, 1957-1958 Caledon, 1959-1960

 Cape Town, 1944-1979 Ceres, 1950-1979 Daljosophat, 1966-1967, 1979 Doornbaai, 1950-1968, 1975 Durban, 1950-1968

East London, 1952-1960

Elgin, 1960-1963 Faure, 1972 Firgrove, 1957-1968; Medical fund 1974-76 Gansbaai, 1967-1971

Gouda, 1958-1960 Grabouw, 1951-1975 Groot Drakenstein, 1951-1968, 1974-1975 Hondekiip Bay, 1950-1968

Hout Bay, 1951-1968

Huguenot, 1955-1960, 1967-1969, 1974-1975. See also Paarl Johannesburg, 1950-1968, 1978-1980

Kleinmond, 1955-1956

Lamberts Bay, 1949-1953, 1955-1980 Luderitz, 1944-1953

Malmesbury, 1955-1961 Montagu, 1952-1963, 1966-1975 Mosses Bay, 1951-1953, 1955-1975 Paarl, 1949-1969, 1975, 1979 Port Elizabeth, 1948-1971

Port Nolloth, 1951-1963, 1966-1967, 1972-1973 Pretoria, 1959-1961

Robertson, 1951-1953, 1955-1956

St Helena Bay, 1951-53, 1955-60, 1966-67, 1978-79 Saldanha Bay, 1949-1979

Sir Lowry's Pass, 1959-1960 Somerset West, 1956-1971, 1975 Stellenbosch, 1961, 1966 Stompneus Bay, 1966-1967, 1979 Strand, 1960, 1966, 1968 Tulbagh, 1955-1975

Veldrift, 1955, 1966-1968 Vredenburg, 1955-1968 Wellington, 1950-53, 1955-1968, 1970-75, 1978-79 Wolseley, 1951-1968, 1971-1972

Worcester, 1949-1963, 1965-1975

General correspondence: 1955-1966, 1971-1975, 1985 Lawyers correspondence: 1960s - 1980s

D            DIVISIONAL INSPECTOR OF LABOUR

General correspondence, 1948-1980s

Correspondence re Confinement allowances, 1941, 1951-1968 Correspondence re Unemployment insurance, 1949-1963 Correspondence re Cost of living allowance, 1949-1952 Correspondence re Workmens compensation, 1953-1963 Correspondence re Housing, 1951-1960s

E            INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION: Correspondence with the Concilliation Board

General correspondence, Government Gazettes, 1950-1955, 1964, etc Food Packaging Industry, 1950s-1960s

Fruit and Vegetable Canning Industry, 1950s-1970s Fruit Drying and Packing Industry, 1940s-1970s Frozen Foods Industry, 1950s-1970s

Fish Canning Industry, 1940s-1970s Fish Smoking Industry, 1950s-1960s Meat and Bacon Canning Industry, 1940s-1950s

F          WAGE BOARD

General investigations, agreements, reports, 1940s-1950s, including piece work rates

Cold Storage and Bacon Curing Industry, 1962-1976, 1979 Condensed Milk, Cream and Food Products, 1962

Dried Fruit Industry, 1958-1976

Edible Nuts and Snacks Industry, 1969, 1974-79, 1981 Fish Processing Industry, 1949-1952, 1957-1983

Food industry, 1968-1969, 1974-1979 Fruit Canning Industry, 1940s-1960s lee Cream Industry, 1970s

Soap, Candles and Edible Oil Industry, 1961 SA Tin Workers, 1960s

G            DEPARTMENT OF MANPOWER

Constitution and registration General correspondence,1960s-1980s Membership figures

Claims - unemployment, maternity, sick and death benefits National Manpower Commission Working paper on the registration of trade unions and related aspects, Nov. 1981

H            AGREEMENTS - Wage, Recognition. etc

Aartappels (Kooperatief) Beperk. (Ceres). 1981 Prince Alfred Hamlet African Products, Pty Ltd. 1983-1984. Bellville

Appletiser Pure Fruit Juices Pty Ltd. 1980-1985. Grabouw Attwells Baking Company. 1982-1983. Cape Town

Blue Continent Cold Storagee Co. 1984-1985. Cape Town Bokomo Mills and Animal Feeds. 1982-1983. Malmesbury Bokomo Flour Mill and Feed Mill. 1983, 1984. Malmesbury Bokomo. 1983. Malmesbury

Boland Pulp. 1984. Wellington

Brooke Bond Oxo. 1984. Pretoria and Johannesburg Cape Oil Products. 1983. Maitland

Carnation Foods. 1982, 1984. Durban

Ceres Aartappelkoop. 1982, 1983, 1984-85. Prince Alfred Hamlet Ceres Kooperatiewee Koelkamers. 1983, 1984. Ceres

Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative Association. 1981. Ceres (see also Fruit Packing)

Company Central Produce. 1984. Pretoria Dunn's Bakery. 1982-1984. Queenstown Epic Oil Mills. 1982-1984. Isando, Selby Epol. 1981-1984. Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Transvaai Excelsior Bakery. 1983. Paarl.

Fattis and Monis. 1980-1984. Bellville Fedpro- Victory Mills. 1983-1984. Worcester Fruit Packing: Elgin Fruit Packers Co-operative Kromrivier Apple Co-operative Ltd (See also Kromco)

Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative 1980-1984. Cape

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving/ Canning Industry:

Langeberg Co-opertive Ltd            See also Langeberg Western Province Preserving Co            and W Province Deepfreezing and Preserving Pty Ltd

1983. East London

Fruit and vegetable canning industry:

S A Fruit and Vegetable Canners Association. 1982-1984, Cape, Transvaai

Golden Grain Bakery. 1981, 1984. East London. (See also Websters Golden Grain Bakery) Harvestime Corporation. 1982-1984. Port Elizabeth

Inshore Fishing Industry. 1981-1984. Cape Town

Irvin and Johnson Ltd, Fish Processing. 1981, 1984. Cape Kromco (Kromrivier Apple Co-operative Ltd). 1980. Grabouw [includes 1980 strike]

KSM Milling Co. and Meadow Feeds.  1981-1983. East London KSM Milling Co. 1982-1984. Queenstown

Land Harvest Co. 1981. Port Elizabeth

Langeberg Koop Bpk. 1982-1984. Industria and Boksburg Marine Trading Company. 1979-1980.            Woodstock

Meadow Feeds.            1984. East London. [see also KSM Milling & Meadow Feeds] Natal Oil (Tongaat Oil and Food Products). 1983. Natal

NFD (National Food Distributors) 1984. Transvaal, Eastern Cape Oceana Fishing Group. 1983. Cape

Pineapple Canning Industry. (Langeberg Koop Bpk & Western Province Preserving Co,) 1983-1984. East London

Pretoria West Flour Milling Company. 1983 & 1984. Pretoria West Robertsons Spices. 1982-1984. Durban

Ruto Mills. 1983-1985. Pretoria, East Rand Sasko. 1982-1984. Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria Sea Harvest Corporation 1979-1984. Saldanha Bay [includes 1979 strike] Senwesko (Sentraalwes(Kooperatief) Beperk). 1983-1985. East London Simba Quix. 1984-1985. Molteno

S A Dried Fruit Co-operative. 1979-1984. Cape, Benoni S A Milling.            1981-1984.    Salt River, Isando Suikerbekkie. 1982. Malmesbury

Table Top George. 1980-1983. George Valley Packers Co-op. 1984. Cape Webster's Golden Grain Bakery. 1982-1983. East London

Western Province Preserving Co. and Langeberg Koop Beperk. 1981-1982

East London

Z.F.P. 1984. Empangeni Miscellaneous:

Lapsed/superseded recognition agreements: Appletizer Pure Fruit Juices

Attwells Baking Company, Salt River

S A Dried Fruit Coop., Cape, Tvl, Dbn S A Milling, Salt River, PE., Isando National Food Distributors Harvestime Corporation

Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative Association and Elgin Fruit Packers + Kromrivier Apple Co-op Epol, PE, Pretoria West, East London

Pretoria West Flour Milling Co African Products, Bellville Excelsior Bakery, Paarl

J            STRIKES, DISPUTES, WAGE NEGOTIATIONS etc

Appletizer Pure Fruit Juices Pty Ltd. 1981-1983. Grabouw Ceres Fruit Growers Co-operative Association. 1980. Cape Collondale Cannery. Aug. 1980- Aug 1981. East London Eastern Cape Agricultural Co-operative Creamery. 1983. Queenstown Epol Pty Ltd. 1983. Pretoria West

Epol Pty Ltd. 1984. Pretoria West Fattis and Monis. 1979. Cape

Fish Processing Industry. 1983. Cape Irvin and Johnson. 1984. Woodstock H Jones and Co. 1979-1980. Paarl Kromrivier Apple Co-operative. Grabouw. 1980. (See Kromco­wage agreements)

K S M Milling Company.            1984. Queenstown

K S M Milling Company.            1985.            Queenstown Lamberts Bay Holdings Ltd. 1982. Lamberts Bay Langeberg Kooperasie Beperk. 1982. East London Langeberg Kooperasie Beperk. 1984. Boksburg Model Dairy. 1981. East London

Rainbow Chickens. 1979. Worcester

Sea Harvest Corporation. Saldanha Bay. 1979 (See Sea Harvest - wage agreements) Sasol. 1984-1985. Secunda

South African Dried Fruit Co-operative Ltd 1984. Wolseley S A Milling Company and Premier Group.            1983. Pretoria West

S A Milling Company.            1982.            Salt River Table Top George. 1981. George

Table Top George. 1983. George

Tongaat Oil Products and African Products Pty Ltd. 1984. Durban Western Province Preserving Company. 1981. East London

K            FINANCIAL RECORDS

Cash Books, 1950-1970

Branch financial records, including Cape Town, Paarl and Wellington, 1950s-1970s

Auditors reports, 1943-1974, 1980s Ledgers, 1940s-1970s

Miscellaneous financial correspondence

L          OTHER ORGANISATIONS

South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU)

Minutes - National Executive Committee, 1957-1962 Management Committee, 1956-1962

W Province Local Committee, 1955-1957 Annual conferences, 1955-1963

Head Office Circulars, 1955-1963 (very incomplete) Correspondence, 1955-1963

South African Trades and Labour Council (SATLC) National Executive Committee Minutes, 1951-1954 National Executive Committee Circulars, 1950, 1952-1954 Joint General Secretary's Monthly Report, 1952-1953 Western Province Local Committee Minutes, notices etc, 1950-1954

Annual and special conferences, 1949-1954 Correspondence, 1950-1954, 1958 Miscellaneous

South African Trade Union Council (SATUC) Correspondence, 1950's - 1960's Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Federation talks, 1981-1985

W Cape Region Minutes, 1986

Fruit and Vegetable Canning Workers Medical Benefit Fund Statements, panel doctors, 1950s-1970s

Other South African Trade Unions Correspondence, constitutions etc Overseas Trade Unions

Correspondence

South African National Convention, 1961

M            PUBLICATIONS, NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

Constitution and amendments

Publications, incl Miscellaneous leaflets, press statements, Statistical New Releases

Newspaper clippings

N            AMALGAMATION

Correspondence re amalgamation of FCWU and SFAWU, 1986

P            MISCELLANEOUS

Q            AFRICAN FOOD AND CANNING WORKERS UNION

National Minutes, Conferences etc:

Annual reports, 1949, 1955, 1962-63, 1967, 1976 Annual conferences, 1948-1980 (incomplete) Special conferences

Central Executive Committee minutes, 1951-1959 (incomplete) Nationl Executive Committee minutes, 1961-1972 (incomplete) Management Committee minutes, 1966-1980 (incomplete) Circular letters, 1948-1964 (incomplete)

Branch minutes:

Cape Town, 1955-1957

Paarl, 1951-1979 (incomplete) Port Elizabeth, 1951-1958 Transvaal, 1978-1982

Correspondence:

Workmens compensation, Industrial conciliation and Wage Board. Unification of FCWU and AFCWU, 1985

N Aggett and 0 Mpetha

Miscellaneous correspondence, Membership Branch correspondence: Akasia, 1959 Ashton, 1951-1968 Australia, 1964

Basutoland, 21.6.57 - 4.2.60 Bellville, 1959

Bonnievale, 1955-1957 Benoni, 1959-60

Berg River Mouth, 17.1.1951-19.8.1953

Cala, 1957 Calvinia, 1951 Cape Town, 1949-1970 Ceres, 1951

Daljosofat, 1960 DeDoorns, 1954

De Wet Wynkelders, 1954 Doornbaai, 1951-1961 Durban, 1952

East London, 1955-61 Eendekuil, 1954 Eersterivier, 1962 Elgin, 1954-1965 England, 1960

Firgrove, 1957-59

Goudiniweg, 1954 Grabouw, 1951-70 Groot Drakenstein, 1954-60

Hermanus 1954-55 Hillbrow 1962 Hondeklip Bay 1949-1956 Huguenot 1957-70         See also Paarl

Johannesburg 1953-75

Kidds Beach 1959 Kleinmont 1954 Kuilsrivier 1951

Laaiplek 1963

Lady Frere 1954-55 Lamberts Bay 1951-54 Langa 1954-62 Lansdown 1960

London 1960

Maitland 1960 Maseru 1953 Montagu 1952-57 Mossel Bay 1950-59 Mt Fletcher 1952-1956

Namaqualand 1955 Newlands 1960

New Look Location 1952 Nyanga Location 1969 Nyasaland 1951

Onrust River 1954-55 Oudtshoorn 1959

Paarl, 1951-75. See also Huguenot Philippi, 1954-62

Piketberg, 1951-52 Plumstead

Port Elizabeth 1951-61 Port Nolloth 1954-55 Prague 1962

Pretoria 1951-68

Queenstown, 1955

Riebeek West, 1959 Robertson, 1951-53

St Helena Bay, 1952-53 Salt River, 1951-58 Saldanha Bay, 1952-63 Simonstown, 1956 Somerset West, 1964 Sterkspruit, 1959

Sto Riverbasin, 1955

Touwsriver 1957 Tulbagh 1960-65

Umtata 1953

Van Rynsdorp 1962 Veldrift 1951-63 Vredenburg 1958-59 Vredendal 1951

Walkers Bay 1955 Wellington 1950-60 Wolseley 1951-62 Woodstock 1957 Worcester 1949-70 Wynberg 1952

Zeerust 1953

Financial records

LTJ/f f.

December 1988

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