Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff
Encyclopedia
The Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) was a British
trade union
which was formed in 1890 as the Clerks Union and later was renamed as the National Union of Clerks. Then, following rapid growth and amalgamation with several other unions, the name was again changed to The National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers (NUCAW) with a membership of around 40,000.
Then in 1940 the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries transferred to NUCAW and the union was renamed the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union. The union organised in the white-collar
sector in the City of London
and across the country, and had particular success in recruiting in the engineering
industry. In the 1960s its membership grew rapidly.
It changed its name to the Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) in 1972. It was the union at the centre of the Grunwick dispute
in the 1970s.
APEX and its predecessors were affiliated trade union
s to the British Labour Party
from 1907 and were key moderate influences within the Party, particularly as it enforced a rule preventing communists from holding positions with the union until 1972.
In 1989 the union joined the GMB
trade union and now exists as a section of the GMB. Its final general secretary from 1971 until 1989 was Roy Grantham.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
which was formed in 1890 as the Clerks Union and later was renamed as the National Union of Clerks. Then, following rapid growth and amalgamation with several other unions, the name was again changed to The National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers (NUCAW) with a membership of around 40,000.
Then in 1940 the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries transferred to NUCAW and the union was renamed the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union. The union organised in the white-collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
sector in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and across the country, and had particular success in recruiting in the engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
industry. In the 1960s its membership grew rapidly.
It changed its name to the Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) in 1972. It was the union at the centre of the Grunwick dispute
Grunwick dispute
The Grunwick dispute was an industrial dispute involving trade union recognition at the Grunwick Film Processing Laboratories in Willesden, North London which led to a two-year strike between 1976–1978...
in the 1970s.
APEX and its predecessors were affiliated trade union
Affiliated trade union
In British politics, the term affiliated trade union refers to a trade union that has an affiliation to the British Labour Party.The Party was created by the trade unions and socialist societies in 1900 as the Labour Representation Committee...
s to the British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
from 1907 and were key moderate influences within the Party, particularly as it enforced a rule preventing communists from holding positions with the union until 1972.
In 1989 the union joined the GMB
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
trade union and now exists as a section of the GMB. Its final general secretary from 1971 until 1989 was Roy Grantham.
General Secretaries
- 1909: Herbert Henry ElvinHerbert Henry ElvinHerbert Henry Elvin was a British trade unionist.Born in Eckington, Derbyshire, Elvin left school at the age of 14, although he later studied with the People's Palace, Birkbeck College and the City of London College...
- 1941: Fred Woods
- 1956: Anne GodwinAnne GodwinDame Anne Godwin was a British trade unionist.Born in 1897 in Farncombe, Surrey as Beatrice Anne Godwin, the daughter of a draper, she attended the British School, Bridge Road, Godalming, until age 16, when she left school to start working as a counting house clerk in the West End of London.In...
- 1963: Henry Chapman
- 1971: Roy Grantham