[1] It remained affiliated when the SATUC merged into the South African Trades and Labour Council.
[2] In the late 1930s, the union was led by Dulcie Hartwell, and in 1937, E. J. Burford established a parallel African Sweet Workers' Union to represent black labourers in the industry.
[2] It was associated with the left wing of the movement, and in 1951, its secretary, H. Le Roux, was banned by the government.
Its membership had declined to only 298 in 1979, but in 1980, it affiliated to the Trade Union Council of South Africa and began accepting black members, its membership growing to 1,396 by the end of the year.
[5] In 1997, it was a founding affiliate of the Federation of Unions of South Africa.