1390:
244:, while Mann retained his office as an honorary position. Duncan successfully brought the union's finances under control, and began offering optional benefits to out-of-work members. For the next few years, membership continued to fall, bottoming out at only 1,000 in 1903, but it then began growing, reaching 5,000 in 1910. New organisers were employed, including George Titt in Manchester,
239:
led to industrial action, and short booms in membership followed by defeats and then a collapse in membership. William Banham and J. Wade were employed as full-time local organisers in London, while other early organisers included John
Mahoney in Middlesbrough, and George Newcombe in Coventry, but
332:
The union's growth stalled during World War I, but then leapt dramatically in 1918, reaching 495,000 by the end of the year, making it the largest trade union in the country. It tried to recruit more women, and by the end of the war had twenty women organisers, who succeeded to take women's
337:. A large number of small, localised unions amalgamated in, with the National Farm and Dairy Workers' Union and Anglesey Workers' Union boosting agricultural membership, which peaked at around 120,000, and the National Union of Government Employees, led by
255:
1911 saw increased unrest among workers in the UK, and the
Workers' Union capitalised on this. Membership increased rapidly, to 18,000 by the end of 1911, 91,000 by the end of 1913, and 143,000 by mid-1914. It was now a similar size to the
185:, gave the appeal strong support, chairing a conference in February 1898 which proposed a "labour league" or "workers' union", which would organise workers in all trades and industries, and support independent labour candidates at elections.
297:, but it left both bodies in 1900, as a money-saving measure. It attempted to rejoin the TUC in 1913, but was blocked by other unions which claimed that it was poaching their members. The union was a founder member of the
240:
all had left by the end of 1901. From late 1900, Chambers and Mann were forced to devote their time to the international federation, Chambers being replaced by Duncan, who in turn was succeeded as president by
1291:(1928), pp.275–281. Note that this is a list of affiliations of Labour MPs as of September 1928, and it is possible that some MPs held different sponsorship as of the 1924 election.
403:(TGWU), with about 100,000 members remaining to transfer. This enabled the TGWU, for the first time, to gain significant numbers of members outside of the docks and transport industries.
381:
155:, but with some branches in other countries. During the 1910s, it was the largest general union in the UK, but it entered a rapid decline in the 1920s, and eventually became part of the
349:. A divisional structure was adopted in 1915, with Beard, Dallas, Ellery, Giles, Harris, Kerr, Morley and Titt appointed to head the new divisions, supplemented after the war by
274:
in
Scotland Beard defeated Morley in the 1913 presidential election, his victory coming on the back of the recruitment of large numbers of semi-skilled engineering workers in the
1441:
333:
membership from 5,000 to 80,000 by the end of the war. The union also recruited among
Belgian refugee engineers, who at the end of the war were transferred to the
178:
173:
1426:
1431:
305:. Despite its original aim of sponsoring labour candidates, it was unable to do so until 1918. However, Duncan managed to gain the sponsorship of the
1436:
257:
1070:
790:
623:
763:
650:
317:, although they left in 1918 when it supported anti-Labour Party Parliamentary candidates. Duncan and Morley stood for the Labour Party in the
446:
1421:
1374:
876:
1097:
677:
266:, and take on several members of administrative staff, and increase the number of full-time organisers from six to forty. They included
341:, boosting membership in dockyards, which peaked at about 25,000. Expansion allowed the opening of an arbitration department, led by
1416:
260:, the largest general union in the UK. The additional funds allowed Duncan to launch a publicity campaign, principally through the
989:
849:
736:
569:
505:
400:
294:
228:
as general secretary and Mann as vice president came from the international federation, and worked only part-time for the union
156:
43:
473:
298:
232:
252:, who had been working part-time for the union among agricultural workers, was transferred to a full-time post in Birmingham.
1446:
1043:
1016:
930:
903:
500:
306:
231:
Initially, the union was unsuccessful, membership peaking at 4,172 at the end of 1898. For example, recruitment at both the
962:
822:
709:
537:
389:
168:
167:
The idea for a general union arose following an 1897 strike of London-based engineers. The action was defeated by the new
830:
717:
596:
545:
350:
1105:
1051:
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342:
267:
262:
20:
884:
385:
334:
1302:
1162:
771:
685:
631:
481:
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241:
171:, and many trade unionists feared that this example would be followed by other employers. Discussions in the
1137:
225:
357:, Tom Macnamara (soon succeeded by Alf Edmonds), and James McKeag. In addition, the union led a successful
970:
1168:
1156:
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454:
271:
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110:
1411:
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314:
28:
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318:
1395:
193:
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and disputes over payments to members of the executive committee. In 1929, it merged into the
396:
395:
Membership of the union collapsed during the 1920s, with job losses due to the depression, the
275:
1340:
290:
131:
8:
1078:
181:
issuing an appeal for the formation of a new general union. The federation's president,
1284:
1261:
412:
302:
135:
236:
358:
152:
84:
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candidates in numerous
Parliamentary elections, several of whom won election.
1405:
346:
209:
148:
70:
658:
338:
322:
309:, and served as an MP from 1906 onwards. The union's leadership supported
279:
362:
354:
310:
24:
1379:
283:
205:
282:. The union also recruited strongly among agricultural workers, with
1370:
1304:
Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940
366:
189:
182:
1266:
Report of the Twenty-second Annual
Conference of the Labour Party
374:
217:
213:
201:
1389:
370:
197:
188:
The first branches of the union were formed in April 1898 in
1382:, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
325:, a union member, did win a seat with the backing of the
179:
International
Federation of Ship, Dock and River Workers
329:, and in 1919 he was elected to the union's executive.
224:
was employed as president and general organiser, while
1380:
Catalogue of
Richard Hyman's research papers on the WU
1075:
1385:
286:
and R. O. Hornagold being the principal organisers.
967:
1442:Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations
881:
827:
714:
542:
258:National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers
994:
854:
741:
574:
510:
451:
248:in Ireland, and Matt Giles in South Wales, while
1403:
1102:
1048:
1021:
935:
908:
795:
768:
682:
628:
601:
478:
655:
27:. For the composition by Louis Andriessen, see
1427:1929 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
1375:Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
1333:Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference
1289:Annual Report of the Labour Party Conference
301:, and remained affiliated as it became the
1432:Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom
1257:
1255:
1253:
1251:
1249:
1247:
289:On formation, the union affiliated to the
1437:1898 establishments in the United Kingdom
345:, and the opening of new headquarters in
313:, with both Beard and Duncan joining the
216:, with the union officially launched on
16:Former trade union of the United Kingdom
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1314:
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1239:Historical Directory of Trade Unions
1226:Historical Directory of Trade Unions
1215:
1181:
401:Transport and General Workers' Union
390:National Amalgamated Union of Labour
157:Transport and General Workers' Union
44:Transport and General Workers' Union
1422:Trade unions disestablished in 1929
406:
13:
382:National Amalgamated Workers Union
295:General Federation of Trade Unions
14:
1458:
1364:
384:, a loose confederation with the
169:Engineering Employers' Federation
19:For Faroese political party, see
1417:Trade unions established in 1898
1388:
307:Amalgamated Society of Engineers
1310:. Exeter: University of Exeter.
386:Municipal Employees Association
321:, but both were unsuccessful.
299:Labour Representation Committee
69:Highfield, Golders Green Road,
23:. For the general concept, see
1231:
392:, but this dissolved in 1922.
380:In 1919, the union joined the
21:Workers' Union (Faroe Islands)
1:
1174:
1149:
1447:Trade unions based in London
1371:Catalogue of the WU archives
1125:
335:Belgian Metal Workers' Union
7:
278:by him, Arthur Ellery, and
10:
1463:
1211:. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
162:
29:Workers Union (Andriessen)
18:
1237:Arthur Ivor Marsh et al,
956:
816:
703:
563:
440:
365:, and opened branches in
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65:
57:
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39:
327:Independent Labour Party
319:1918 UK general election
1396:Organized labour portal
1207:Hyman, Richard (1971).
315:British Workers' League
1301:Parker, James (2017).
397:General Strike of 1926
233:Army & Navy Stores
958:1929 general election
818:1924 general election
705:1923 general election
565:1922 general election
533:1922 general election
442:1918 general election
291:Trades Union Congress
174:Weekly Times and Echo
1071:Stalybridge and Hyde
791:Roxburgh and Selkirk
411:The union sponsored
1224:Arthur Ivor Marsh,
1131:General Secretaries
1079:Hugh Hartley Lawrie
624:Penryn and Falmouth
113:, General Secretary
36:
1209:The Workers' Union
764:Plymouth Devonport
651:Portsmouth Central
34:
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40:Merged into
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831:William Adamson
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351:William Adamson
270:in London, and
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5:
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1373:, held at the
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1365:External links
1363:
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1359:
1335:: 24–44. 1929.
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359:general strike
293:(TUC) and the
222:Charles Duncan
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145:Workers' Union
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100:500,000 (1919)
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686:Robert Morley
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276:West Midlands
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268:George Dallas
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263:Daily Citizen
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246:Joseph Harris
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242:Robert Morley
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210:Middlesbrough
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151:based in the
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22:
1350:|title=
1341:cite journal
1332:
1303:
1296:
1288:
1285:Labour Party
1268:, pp.255-272
1265:
1262:Labour Party
1238:
1233:
1225:
1208:
1138:Tom Chambers
659:Arthur Gourd
424:Constituency
413:Labour Party
410:
394:
379:
339:Arthur Gourd
331:
323:Neil Maclean
303:Labour Party
288:
280:Julia Varley
261:
254:
237:Lipton's Tea
230:
226:Tom Chambers
187:
172:
166:
144:
142:
128:Affiliations
121:
66:Headquarters
363:Isle of Man
355:Hugh Lawrie
311:World War I
272:George Kerr
177:led to the
118:Publication
25:Trade union
1406:Categories
1175:References
1169:John Beard
1150:Presidents
990:Clay Cross
850:Clay Cross
737:Clay Cross
570:Clay Cross
506:The Wrekin
433:Percentage
284:Sidney Box
250:John Beard
206:Manchester
106:Key people
53:1 May 1898
1126:Officials
474:Doncaster
436:Position
427:Candidate
367:Gibraltar
353:, Gourd,
96:Members
58:Dissolved
1044:Rochdale
1017:Ilkeston
931:Rochdale
904:Ilkeston
421:Election
388:and the
190:Bradford
183:Tom Mann
159:(TGWU).
77:Location
1241:, p.493
1228:, p.475
963:Cannock
823:Cannock
710:Cannock
538:Cannock
375:Tangier
361:on the
218:May Day
194:Halifax
163:History
50:Founded
1167:1913:
1161:1900:
1155:1898:
1142:1900:
1136:1898:
1113:15,300
1086:20,343
1059:22,060
1032:20,202
1005:24,480
978:26,388
946:14,609
919:11,011
865:14,618
838:16,347
752:11,939
725:11,956
693:10,578
597:Maldon
585:13,206
462:12,309
214:Oldham
202:London
147:was a
136:Labour
122:Record
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