Emil Solomon “Solly” Sachs (11 November 1900 – 30 July 1976) was a South African trade unionist and an anti-apartheid activist.
[1]: 222 Known for his unionism, in 1926 he was part of the national executive committee of the South African Trades and Labour Council and by 14 November 1928, secretary of the Witwatersrand Taylors' Association (WTA).
[1]: 221 [2]: 62 Noticing that women garment workers, consisting of working class Afrikaners were not represented on union committees, he became general secretary of the WTA, changing its constitution in July 1929, and renaming it the Garment Workers' Union of South Africa (GWU) in 1930.
[2]: 62–3 The early years in this union involved defending work conditions and employment security in the garment industry.
[4]: 63 Using the courts and strikes he ensured garment workers wages increased from 23s/week in 1928 to £2/week by 1938, paid leave rose from three days to ten, they received morning and afternoon breaks and created a sick fund.
[1]: 222 After leaving court he attended another protest a few days later and was again arrested and bailed, later sentenced in July to two offences of six months hard labour suspended for two years.
[1]: 222 He continued to protest against the South Africa government in London after his son Albie was arrested and demonstrated again in 1961 against the Sharpeville massacre.