About AFADWU
The Agricultural Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU) is an association of employees whose principal purposeis to regulate relations between employees and employers, including any employers’ organisations.
It is registered with the Department of Labour in terms of the Labour Relations Act No 66 of 1995 as amended.
About AFADWU
AFADWU is an association of employees whose principal purpose is to regulate relations between employees and employers, including any employers’ organisations.
It is registered with the Department of Labour in terms of the Labour Relations Act No 66 of 1995 as amended.
Historical Background
In his book the “18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte” Karl Marx among other things says, “Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please, they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted…”
The union was founded in September 2016 at first as Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (FADWU) but later on in April 2018 registered as Agricultural Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU).
This followed the revolutionary defence project which comprised of comrades that had worked tirelessly in ensuring the success of the project, risking their work/employment with the FAWU and risking suspension and expulsions from the FAWU as members and workers even risking dismissal at their respective employers.
It was all in the name of refusing with FAWU, defending COSATU, Alliance and the Republic of South Africa, the revolution as a whole.
The Durban Caucus meeting of the 24th January 2015 is one example of such defence.
Subsequently FAWU National Congress on 22-25 August 2016 resolved to disaffiliate from COSATU.
There was a need to kick start plan B as plan “A” had clearly failed.
This plan was about starting a food and agriculture union to be affiliated to COSATU replacing FAWU if permitted.
There was a need to convene an urgent national caucus at COSATU head office to discuss the way forward.
COSATU affiliates funded the transport and accommodation for comrades to attend the national caucus which took place on 27 August 2016, chaired by COSATU.
It was agreed that a national workers’ consultative meeting should be held in KZN on 03-04 September 2016.
This would also discuss the COSATU recommendation of having all FAWU members who were unhappy with the decision to leave COSATU to as a temporary measure, be housed at one of the affiliates of COSATU such as SACCAWU and SACTWU.
Eventually a national workers’ consultative meeting took place in Durban on 03-04 September 2016.
It was at that meeting where the Food and Allied Democratic Workers’ Union was established.
The meeting rejected the COSATU recommendation mentioned here above.
FADWU was born and started its operations from nothing to something we see now as Agricultural Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU).
The circumstances beyond the control of any of the comrades in the registration process of the union with the Department of Labour which included avoiding the protracted litigation has made the collective to change the name from FADWU to AFADWU.
The union was eventually registered as Agricultural Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU) on 17 April 2018.
Our Mission
To organise, service, train and recruit workers employed in farms, forestry, nursery, retail, fishing, hospitality, golf estates, food processing and beverage manufacturing industries on the basis of democratic, worker control principle and the unity of the working class and the workers.