Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU)

Published: 5 Feb 2013
Updated: 20 Jul 2026

The Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU) was formed on 31 May 1974 in Springs, Transvaal. It was also established with the help of the Urban Training Project (UTP). Benjy Mngoma was its first secretary and amongst its leading figures was Aninka Claassens. PWAWU organised workers in the paper and pulp, paper printing and packaging, wood, sawmill and furniture industries. It had branches in the Transvaal, Natal and the Western Cape. One of its achievements was successfully breaking down ethnic divisions between Mpondo and Zulu workers in Natal.

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2013, February 5). Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU). South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/A-0094788

South African History Online (2013) 'Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU)', South African History Online, 5 February. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/A-0094788 (Accessed: 22 July 2026).

South African History Online, Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU) [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/A-0094788, (accessed 22 July 2026).

"Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU)." South African History Online, 5 Feb. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/A-0094788. Accessed 22 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Paper Wood and Allied Workers Union (PWAWU)." South African History Online. February 5, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/A-0094788.