Metal and Allied Workers' Union

The union was founded in April 1974 in Pietermaritzburg, with the assistance of the General Factory Workers' Benefit Fund.

[1] The union refused to participate in wage or liaison committees, instead fighting for recognition at the company level.

[2] However, in 1983, some dissatisfied members left, to form the rival United Metal, Mining and Allied Workers of South Africa (UMMAWOSA).

Four members of the shop stewards' committee were abducted, and three of them were murdered, the other surviving a gunshot wound.

The union achieved a compromise, with it gaining access to workers at the plant, but not official recognition.