National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union Explained

National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union
Location Country:United Kingdom
Affiliation:TUC
Members:12,000 (1892)
Full Name:National Amalgamated Coal Porters' Union of Inland and Seaborne Coal Workers
Founded:1889
Parent Organization:Miners' Federation of Great Britain (1893
Dissolved:1922
Merged:Transport and General Workers Union
Headquarters:Rugby Chambers, Chapel Street, London
Key People:Alfred Walton (Gen Sec)

The National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1889 and 1922. It represented coal porters and carmen.

History

The union was formed as the National Amalgamated Coal Porters Union of Inland and Seaborne Coal Workers in 1890, and affiliated with the Trades Union Congress in 1890. Union membership grew rapidly from 5000 in 1891 to 12,000 in 1892. A major three-week strike occurred in London in 1892, involving 6,000 members of the union, over the employment on a non-union worker and the failure of some employers to pay standard wages. The strike was unsuccessful, but it was agreed through conciliation that the strikers would be re-employed.[1]

Following the failure of the strike, the union affiliated to the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, but its membership fell, to 4,000 in 1896 and 1,535 in 1910. By 1920 it had recovered somewhat, with a membership of 10,000.[2] In 1922 it merged with 13 other British trade unions to form the Transport and General Workers' Union.[3]

General Secretaries

1890: George Shelley

1893: James O'Connor

1890s: J. Hopkin

1910s: Alfred Walton

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: . Report by the Chief Labour Correspondent on the Strikes and Lock-outs of 1892 . London . Board of Trade - Labour Department . 1894 . 10 December 2013.
  2. Book: United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics . Monthly labor review, Volume 12, Issue 5 . Bureau of Labor Statistics . 1921 . G.P.O. . University of Minnesota . 170 .
  3. Book: Marsh . Arthur Ivor . Ryan . Victoria . 1987 . Historical Directory of Trade Unions: including unions in building and allied trades, transport, woodworkers and allied trades, leather workers, enginemen and tobacco workers . Gower . 0566021625 . 10 December 2013.