Amalgamated Engineering Union

The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992.

Amalgamated Engineering Union
Merged intoAmalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
Founded1920
Dissolved1 May 1992
Headquarters110 Peckham Road, London
Location
  • United Kingdom
Members
1,483,400 (1979)[1]
PublicationAUEW Journal
AffiliationsTUC, CSEU, IMF, Labour

History

The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society, in 1826, popularly known as the "Old Mechanics". They invited a large number of other unions to become part of what became the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE).[2]

In 1920, the ASE put out a fresh call for other unions to merge with it in a renamed Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). Seventeen unions balloted their members on a possible merger, and nine voted in favour of amalgamation:[2]

  • Amalgamated Association of Brass Turners, Fitters, Finishers and Coppersmiths
  • Amalgamated Instrument Makers' Society
  • Amalgamated Society of General Tool Makers, Engineers and Machinists
  • East of Scotland Brass Founders' Society
  • London United Metal Turners', Fitters' and Finishers' Society
  • North of England Brass Turners', Fitters' and Finishers' Society
  • Steam Engine Makers' Society (SEM)
  • United Kingdom Society of Amalgamated Smiths and Strikers
  • United Machine Workers' Association

The resulting union had a membership of 450,000,[3] about 300,000 coming from the ASE.[4]

Jack Leckie, a Scottish trade union activist and communist, addressing a rally at Radford Road, Coventry, during the 1922 Engineers' Lockout.

In 1922 employers, represented by the Engineering Employers' Federation, launched an industry-wide lockout in an attempt to reverse the gains made by the AEU during WWI and its aftermath.[3] Exploiting the downturn in economic conditions in the engineering industry, they demanded the union forfeit control over overtime. The lockout lasted from 11 March to 13 June and involved 260,000 workers, 90,000 of them represented by the AEU. The lockout ended with the union conceding some of the employers' demands.[3]

The AEU continued to grow and absorb smaller unions. From 1926, it accepted members who had not completed an apprenticeship. In 1933, it had 168,000 members, and 390,900 by the end of the decade. Its largest membership growth came during the Second World War when its all-male membership voted to admit women for the first time and 100,000 joined almost immediately, membership reaching 825,000 by 1943.[1] It admitted women due to the increasing role of female industrial workers in the British home front, as well as to prevent either female workers joining rival unions or non-union female workers from undercutting union wages.[5] However, during World War II the AEU also lost its overseas branches in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, which became independent unions.

From the 1940s, the AEU also absorbed various smaller unions: the Amalgamated Society of Glass Works Engineers, Amalgamated Society of Vehicle Builders, Carpenters and Mechanics, Amalgamated Machine, Engine and Iron Grinders' and Glaziers' Society, Leeds Spindle and Flyer Makers' Trade and Friendly Society, United Operative Spindle and Flyer Makers' Trade and Friendly Society, and the Turners', Fitters' and Instrument Makers' Union.[6]

The AEU merged with the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers (AUFW) on 1 January 1968 to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers (AEF), and with the Draughtsmen and Allied Technicians' Association (DATA) and Constructional Engineering Union in 1971 to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW). The union was now organised on a federal basis, with four sections: Engineering, Foundry, Construction, and Technical, Administrative and Supervisory (TASS). This approach was not a success, as the various sections fell into dispute with each other. In 1984, the Engineering, Foundry and Construction Sections were merged and in 1986 adopted the name Amalgamated Engineering Union once more, while the TASS remained separate and, in 1988, it became entirely independent of the union once more.[7]

Despite this series of amalgamations, declines in the number of workers in heavy industry saw membership drop from a peak of 1,483,400 in 1979, to 858,000 in 1986.[1] The AEU became a mainstay of the moderate right in the trade union movement through the 1980s and 1990s, leading the manufacturing unions in 1989–1991 in a successful push for a shorter working week, but failing to merge with a number of unions, notally the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians.

In 1992 the AEU finally achieved a merger with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, EETPU, after a hundred years of off and on discussions.[8] The new union took the name Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.[9]

Election results

Like the ASE before it, the AEU affiliated to the Labour Party, sponsoring candidates at each election, many of whom won seats in Parliament.

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1922 general electionAberdeen NorthFrank Herbert Rose10,95855.71[10]
Ashton-under-LyneTom Gillinder8,83442.42[10]
BasingstokeSamuel Ledbury3,03513.63[10]
CamborneTom Proctor4,50221.93[10]
Dumbarton BurghsDavid Kirkwood16,39764.51[10]
EdmontonFrank Broad8,40745.11[10]
GatesheadJohn Brotherton18,79543.81[10]
Newcastle upon Tyne WestDavid Adams11,65443.91[10]
NewtonRobert Young12,31255.61[10]
Plymouth DrakeJames Gorman8,35931.42[10]
RochdaleStanley Burgess15,77438.81[10]
Stalybridge and HydePercy Horace Wood7,57821.63[10]
The WrekinRichard Edward Jones10,60347.62[11]
Woolwich WestJohn Thomas Sheppard9,55039.82[10]
YeovilWilliam Kelly9,58138.32[10]
1923 general electionAberdeen NorthFrank Herbert Rose9,13850.61[12]
EdmontonFrank Broad10,73564.41[12]
GatesheadJohn Brotherton16,68941.12[12]
Newcastle upon Tyne WestDavid Adams11,52743.22[12]
NewtonRobert Young12,49259.91 [12]
RochdaleStanley Burgess13,52532.62[12]
1924 general electionDumbarton BurghsDavid Kirkwood14,56259.21[13]
EdmontonFrank Broad11,61453.11[13]
NewtonRobert Young12,87556.11[13]
1929 general electionDartfordJohn Edmund Mills26,87150.61[14]
Dumbarton BurghsDavid Kirkwood19,19363.11[14]
EdmontonFrank Broad17,55559.31[14]
NewtonRobert Young18,17660.51[14]
1931 by-electionSunderlandJames Thomas Brownlie30,07439.82[15]
1931 general electionBarrowDavid Adams15,83543.22[16]
1935 general electionConsettDavid Adams25,41958.71[17]
Dumbarton BurghsDavid Kirkwood20,40965.21[17]
NewtonRobert Young19,99258.51[17]
1945 general electionAberdeen SouthWilliam McLaine17,39842.32[18]
Dumbarton BurghsDavid Kirkwood16,26265.21[18]
Manchester HulmeFrederick Lee12,03455.61[18]
NewtonRobert Young25,19762.01[18]
1948 by-electionEdmontonAusten Albu26,16453.41[19]
1949 by-electionLeeds WestCharles Pannell21,93555.21[19]
1950 general electionBury and RadcliffeJohn Owen25,70544.42[20]
East DunbartonshireDavid Kirkwood25,94352.71[20]
EdmontonAusten Albu34,89755.11[20]
Hayes and HarlingtonWalter Ayles22,49060.11[20]
KeighleyCharles Hobson21,83348.51[20]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell21,33951.61[20]
Newcastle upon Tyne NorthW. H. Shackleton16,86035.92[20]
NewtonFrederick Lee31,83259.11[20]
RochdaleJoseph Hale25,48444.91[20]
SouthallGeorge Pargiter27,10753.91[20]
1951 general electionCirencester and TewkesburyAlbert Sumbler18,35340.52[21]
East DunbartonshireCyril Bence26,67851.21[21]
EdmontonAusten Albu36,02358.41[21]
EsherPercy McNally15,33428.62[21]
Glasgow ScotstounJohn Robertson20,87249.32[21]
Hayes and HarlingtonWalter Ayles23,82364.81[21]
KeighleyCharles Hobson23,74352.81[21]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell22,35754.11[21]
NewtonFrederick Lee31,37458.31[21]
RochdaleJoseph Hale27,34349.62[21]
SouthallGeorge Pargiter29,12357.91[21]
Southend WestHenry Lyall17,35230.92[21]
Stockport NorthJohn Owen20,89344.92[21]
1955 general electionBarryDan Jones19,72242.12[22]
BridgwaterAlbert Sumbler17,17040.82[22]
East DunbartonshireCyril Bence24,21648.71[22]
EdmontonAusten Albu30,23256.61[22]
Glasgow WoodsideJohn McGinley15,54343.92[22]
High PeakNeil McBride13,65234.62[22]
KeighleyCharles Hobson19,41446.51[22]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell24,57652.81[22]
NewtonFrederick Lee29,29957.91[22]
RochdaleJack McCann24,92848.52[22]
SouthallGeorge Pargiter25,20757.21[22]
Stockport SouthErnie Roberts16,61244.52[22]
1958 by-electionRochdaleJack McCann22,13344.71[23]
1959 general electionBurnleyDan Jones27,67557.01[23]
DoncasterTed Garrett22,93546.42[23]
East DunbartonshireCyril Bence27,94251.11[23]
EdmontonAusten Albu25,59850.51[23]
Glasgow ScotstounWilliam Small24,69053.71[23]
Glasgow WoodsideJohn McGinley14,48343.12[23]
High PeakBernard Conlan13,82734.02[23]
KeighleyCharles Hobson20,45649.82[23]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell25,87854.91[23]
NewtonFrederick Lee31,04157.41[23]
OxfordLeslie Anderton18,31034.82[23]
RochdaleJack McCann21,68941.51[23]
SouthallGeorge Pargiter22,28552.71[23]
South NorthamptonshireArthur Richardson18,29243.02[23]
Stockport SouthStan Orme17,98246.72[23]
1963 by-electionSwansea EastNeil McBride18,90961.11
1964 general electionBradford NorthBen Ford17,90543.61[24]
Bristol North WestDavid Watkins21,03042.92[24]
BurnleyDan Jones25,24456.81[24]
DoncasterHarold Walker23,84549.91[24]
East DunbartonshireCyril Bence32,94855.61[24]
EdmontonAusten Albu24,37349.21[24]
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan26,63364.51[24]
Glasgow ScotstounWilliam Small27,03661.61[24]
KeighleyJohn Binns17,81643.01[24]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell22,96850.51[24]
NewtonFrederick Lee32,93256.01[24]
PaisleyJohn Robertson26,31852.91[24]
RochdaleJack McCann22,92746.71[24]
Salford WestStan Orme20,49055.51[24]
SouthallGeorge Pargiter18,04148.01[24]
Swansea EastNeil McBride30,90473.01[24]
TottenhamNorman Atkinson19,45854.71[24]
TruroDouglas Grazier14,22431.52[24]
WallsendTed Garrett39,84160.41[24]
1966 general electionBradford NorthBen Ford21,72755.41[25]
BurnleyDan Jones25,58360.41[25]
ConsettDavid Watkins29,75373.31[25]
DoncasterHarold Walker25,77756.71[25]
East DunbartonshireCyril Bence32,98852.21[25]
EdmontonAusten Albu26,42258.61[25]
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan27,62869.61[25]
Glasgow ScotstounWilliam Small27,32061.81[25]
KeighleyJohn Binns22,03955.01[25]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell24,39156.31[25]
NewtonFrederick Lee36,90162.81[25]
PaisleyJohn Robertson28,07460.01[25]
RochdaleJack McCann24,48152.41[25]
Salford WestStan Orme19,23759.21[25]
Swansea EastNeil McBride30,29075.41[25]
TottenhamNorman Atkinson17,36765.31[25]
WallsendTed Garrett39,74465.21[25]
1970 general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes27,70762.11[26]
Bradford NorthBen Ford20,14152.11[26]
BurnleyDan Jones24,20057.01[26]
ConsettDavid Watkins28,98570.91[26]
DoncasterHarold Walker22,65850.71[26]
EdmontonAusten Albu20,62649.11[26]
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan28,52464.81[26]
Glasgow ScotstounWilliam Small26,49257.41[26]
KeighleyJohn Binns20,34149.32[26]
Leeds WestCharles Pannell21,61851.81[26]
LouthJames Murray16,40333.92[26]
Merthyr TydfilTaliesin Lloyd9,23428.72[26]
NewtonFrederick Lee34,87352.51[26]
PaisleyJohn Robertson25,42954.11[26]
RochdaleJack McCann19,24741.61[26]
Salford WestStan Orme16,98654.31[26]
South NorthamptonshireGordon Roberts21,13137.22[26]
South West NorfolkLeslie Potter16,57242.72[26]
Swansea EastNeil McBride28,18368.51[26]
TottenhamNorman Atkinson17,36761.31[26]
WallsendTed Garrett39,06561.31[26]
1973 by-electionDundee EastGeorge Machin14,41132.71[27]
1974 Feb general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes23,19347.71[28]
Bradford NorthBen Ford22,38143.31[28]
BridgwaterRoger Undy16,78629.52[28]
BurnleyDan Jones21,10850.41[28]
CarltonJames Murray20,14733.52[28]
ChorleyGeorge Rodgers25,44040.31[28]
ConsettDavid Watkins27,40161.11[28]
Coventry North EastGeorge Park30,49663.91[28]
DoncasterHarold Walker23,04147.91[28]
Dundee EastGeorge Machin17,10033.72[28]
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan27,26955.21[28]
Glasgow GarscaddenWilliam Small21,03552.31[28]
GloucesterAlf Pegler18,21535.22[28]
Leeds WestJoseph Dean19,43642.11[28]
NewtonJohn Evans38,36949.31[28]
PaisleyJohn Robertson23,82048.41[28]
St Pancras NorthJock Stallard14,76152.81[28]
Salford WestStan Orme16,80851.31[28]
Swansea EastNeil McBride28,53766.31[28]
TottenhamNorman Atkinson16,99954.81[28]
WallsendTed Garrett41,81162.01[28]
1974 Oct general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes23,13050.91[27]
Bradford NorthBen Ford22,84149.11[27]
BurnleyDan Jones21,64254.81[27]
ChorleyGeorge Rodgers27,29044.11[27]
ConsettDavid Watkins27,12367.01[27]
Coventry North EastGeorge Park26,48959.51[27]
DoncasterHarold Walker22,17751.31[27]
Dundee EastGeorge Machin15,13732.72[27]
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan27,62061.91[27]
Glasgow GarscaddenWilliam Small19,73750.91[27]
Leeds WestJoseph Dean20,66949.61[27]
NewtonJohn Evans38,95653.31[27]
PaisleyJohn Robertson21,36844.81[27]
RochdaleJohn Connell17,33936.82[27]
St Pancras NorthJock Stallard14,15558.51[27]
Salford WestStan Orme17,11257.21[27]
TottenhamNorman Atkinson15,70858.81[27]
WallsendTed Garrett37,18058.11[27]
1979 general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes26,77159.31[29]
Bradford NorthBen Ford25,06950.91[29]
BurnleyDan Jones20,17250.81[29]
ChorleyGeorge Rodgers28,54643.02[29]
ConsettDavid Watkins26,70861.31[29]
Coventry North EastGeorge Park27,01057.31[29]
DoncasterHarold Walker22,18448.91[29]
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan28,77661.21[29]
Hackney North and Stoke NewingtonErnie Roberts14,68851.61[29]
KilmarnockWilliam McKelvey25,71852.61[29]
Leeds WestJoseph Dean21,29049.41[29]
Manchester BlackleyKen Eastham20,34650.41[29]
NewtonJohn Evans41,46651.41[29]
RochdaleJohn Connell16,87834.32[29]
St Pancras NorthJock Stallard14,55654.21[29]
Salford WestStan Orme18,41161.51[29]
TottenhamNorman Atkinson16,29956.91[29]
WallsendTed Garrett38,21455.11[29]
1983 general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes19,26247.01[30]
Coventry North EastGeorge Park22,19047.81[30]
Doncaster CentralHarold Walker21,15442.01[30]
Edinburgh LeithRon Brown16,17739.71
Gateshead EastBernard Conlan22,98148.31[30]
Hackney North and Stoke NewingtonErnie Roberts18,98952.01[30]
Kilmarnock and LoudounWilliam McKelvey20,25043.61[30]
Leeds WestJoseph Dean15,86034.02
Manchester BlackleyKen Eastham20,13248.11
St Helens NorthJohn Evans25,33447.91
Salford EastStan Orme21,37353.71
TottenhamNorman Atkinson22,42352.01[30]
WallsendTed Garrett26,61550.11
1985 by-electionTyne BridgeDavid Clelland13,51757.81
1986 by-electionKnowsley NorthGeorge Howarth17,40356.31
1987 general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes24,14554.71
Bury NorthDavid Crausby21,18637.82[31]
Caithness and SutherlandAllan Byron3,43714.93[31]
Doncaster CentralHarold Walker26,26651.21[31]
Edinburgh LeithRon Brown21,10449.31[31]
Feltham and HestonCharles Hinds22,32537.42[31]
Glasgow PollokJimmy Dunnachie23,23963.11[31]
Kilmarnock and LoudounWilliam McKelvey23,71348.51
Knowsley NorthGeorge Howarth27,45469.91[31]
Manchester BlackleyKen Eastham22,47652.41[31]
St Helens NorthJohn Evans28,98953.71[31]
Salford EastStan Orme22,55558.81[31]
Sheffield CentralRichard Caborn25,87267.71[31]
Sheffield HeeleyBill Michie28,42553.41[31]
Tyne BridgeDavid Clelland23,13163.01[31]
WallsendTed Garrett32,70956.81[31]
1992 general electionAberdeen NorthRobert Hughes18,84547.01
Bolton North EastDavid Crausby21,45944.52
Doncaster CentralHarold Walker27,79554.31
Glasgow PollokJimmy Dunnachie14,17043.41
Kilmarnock and LoudounWilliam McKelvey22,21044.81
Knowsley NorthGeorge Howarth27,51777.51
Manchester BlackleyKen Eastham23,03160.21
RotherhamJimmy Boyce27,93363.91
Salford EastStan Orme20,32760.01
Sheffield CentralRichard Caborn22,76468.71
Sheffield HeeleyBill Michie28,00555.71
St Helens NorthJohn Evans31,93057.91
Tyne BridgeDavid Clelland22,32867.21

Leadership

General Secretaries
AEU
1921: Albert Smethurst
1933: Fred A. Smith
1943: Benjamin Gardner
1956: Cecil Hallett
1965: Jim Conway
AEF/AUEW
YearConstructionEngineeringFoundryTASS
1968 Created 1971 Jim Conway William Simpson Created 1971
1971 Eddie Marsden George Doughty
1974 Bob Garland Ken Gill
1975 John Boyd
1976 John Baldwin
1982 Gavin Laird
1984 Gavin Laird
AEU
1988: Gavin Laird

Presidents
1920: James Thomas Brownlie
1931: William Harold Hutchinson
1933: John C. Little
1939: Jack Tanner
1953: Robert Openshaw
1956: William Carron
1968: Hugh Scanlon
1978: Terry Duffy
1986: Bill Jordan

References
  1. James C. Docherty and Sjaak van der Velden, Historical Dictionary of Organized Labor, pp.24-25
  2. Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of British Trade Unions, vol.3, pp.12-16
  3. Haydu, Jeffrey (1988). Between Craft and Class: Skilled Workers and Factory Politics in the United States and Britain, 1890-1922. University of California Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780520060609.
  4. Jefferys, James B. (1970). The Story of the Engineers. Edinburgh: Reprints in Social and Economic History. p. 171–191.
  5. Thorpe, Andrew (1997). A History of the British Labour Party. London: Macmillan Education UK. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0. ISBN 978-0-333-56081-5.
  6. "Amalgamated Engineering Union and successors". Modern Records Centre. University of Warwick. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  7. Chris Cook, The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945, pp.223-224
  8. Lloyd, John (1990). Light and Liberty: A History of EEPTU. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 9780297796626.
  9. Smethurst, John B.; Carter, Peter (2009). Historical Directory of Trade Unions: Including unions in building and construction, agriculture, fishing, chemicals, wood and woodworking, transport, engineering and metalworking, government, civil and public service, shipbuilding, energy and extraction in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Vol. 6. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-6683-7. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  10. "Appendix III: List of sanctioned candidates, June, 1922". Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 116–126. 1922.. Note that this list is of the sanctioned candidates as of June 1922, and there were some changes between this date and the general election.
  11. Candidate was listed as sponsored but not attached to any specific constituency in: "By-elections". Candidates and Constituencies: 62–63. 1922.
  12. Jefferys, James B. (1970). The Story of the Engineers. Edinburgh: Reprints in Social and Economic History. p. 230.
  13. Labour Party, Annual Report of the Labour Party Conference (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.
  14. "List of Labour Candidates and Election Results, May 30th, 1929". Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 24–44. 1929.
  15. "Parliamentary by-elections". Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference: 16–28. 1931.
  16. "List of Endorsed Labour candidates and election results, October 27, 1931". Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference: 11–27. 1931.
  17. "List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935". Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 8–23. 1935.
  18. "List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, July 26th, 1945". Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 232–248. 1945.
  19. Sponsor assumed to be the same as at the 1950 UK general election
  20. "List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950". Report of the Forty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 179–198. 1950.
  21. "List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, 25th October, 1951". Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 184–203. 1951.
  22. Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-275
  23. Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.179-201
  24. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.158-180
  25. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.308-330
  26. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.289-312
  27. Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.391-411
  28. Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.371-390
  29. Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.406-431
  30. General Election Guide. BBC Data Publications. 1983. ISBN 094635815X.
  31. "AEU sponsored MPs show the way in the general election". AEU. 1987.
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