National Union of General Workers (UK)
Encyclopedia
The National Union of General Workers (NUGW) was an early general union
in the United Kingdom
.
The union was founded in 1889 as the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers by Will Thorne
, Ben Tillett
and William Byford, following lay offs at Beckton
gas works. Thorne was elected as the General Secretary, a post he held throughout the life of the union, and successfully argued that the organisation should campaign for an eight-hour working day, rather than an increase in wages. This demand was quickly won, and membership soon rose to over 20,000.
In 1916, the organisation renamed itself the "National Union of General Workers", merging with the Amalgamated Union of Machine and General Labourers. Further mergers followed, principally with the British Labour Amalgamation, the Amalgamated Society of Gas, Municipal and General Workers, the Amalgamated Enginemen, Cranemen, Boilermen, Firemen and Wire Rope Workers Union and the National Union of Women Workers. In 1924, it joined with the National Amalgamated Union of Labour
and the Municipal Employees Association to form the National Union of General and Municipal Workers.
General union
A General Union is a trade union which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organization or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The union was founded in 1889 as the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers by Will Thorne
Will Thorne
William James Thorne CBE , known as Will Thorne, was a British trade unionist, activist and one of the first Labour Members of Parliament .-Early years:...
, Ben Tillett
Ben Tillett
Benjamin Tillett was a British socialist, trade union leader and politician. He was born in Bristol and began his working life as a sailor, before travelling to London and taking up work as a docker....
and William Byford, following lay offs at Beckton
Beckton
Beckton is part of the London Borough of Newham, England, located east of Charing Cross.Its boundaries are the A13 trunk road to the north, Barking Creek to the east, the Royal Docks to the south, and Prince Regent Lane to the west. The area around Prince Regent Lane is also known as Custom House...
gas works. Thorne was elected as the General Secretary, a post he held throughout the life of the union, and successfully argued that the organisation should campaign for an eight-hour working day, rather than an increase in wages. This demand was quickly won, and membership soon rose to over 20,000.
In 1916, the organisation renamed itself the "National Union of General Workers", merging with the Amalgamated Union of Machine and General Labourers. Further mergers followed, principally with the British Labour Amalgamation, the Amalgamated Society of Gas, Municipal and General Workers, the Amalgamated Enginemen, Cranemen, Boilermen, Firemen and Wire Rope Workers Union and the National Union of Women Workers. In 1924, it joined with the National Amalgamated Union of Labour
National Amalgamated Union of Labour
The National Amalgamated Union of Labour was a general union in the United Kingdom.The trade union was founded in 1888 as the Tyneside and District Labourers Union, and it participated in the National Labour Federation...
and the Municipal Employees Association to form the National Union of General and Municipal Workers.