SASBO – The Finance Union

The union was founded in February 1916, in response to low staff numbers and high costs of living during World War I. In its early years, it represented workers throughout the British colonies of southern Africa. Its first secretary was Archie Crawford, who was also secretary of the South African Industrial Federation. In 1920, it held a one-day strike for higher pay, which was successful; it claimed this was the first strike of bank clerks anywhere in the British Empire. By 1926, it had 3,800 members, and was affiliated to the South African Trades Union Congress.[1]

The union was long affiliated to the Trade Union Council of South Africa, and by 1980 it had 21,044 members, all of whom were white. In 1981, it absorbed the National Union of Bank Employees of South Africa, representing "coloured" workers, and the South African Bank Employees' Union, representing black workers.[2] Later in the 1980s, it switched to the Federation of South African Labour Unions.[3] In 1994, it absorbed the Finance Industry Workers' Union.[4] Since 1995, SASBO has been affiliated with the Congress of South African Trade Unions; when it first joined, it was its only affiliate with a majority white membership.[5]

• SASBO official site.