Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions

Last updated
CSEU
Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions
Founded1890
HeadquartersSalamanca Place, London SE1, England
Location
MembersSteady2.svg 4 unions
General Secretary
Ian Waddell
Website cseu.org.uk

The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU), often known as the Confed is a trade union confederation in the United Kingdom.

Contents

History

The confederation was founded in December 1890 as the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades by small craft unions, on the initiative of Robert Knight of the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders, primarily in response to the formation of a National Federation of Shipbuilders and Engineers by employers. [1] By 1895, sixteen unions were affiliated, with a total membership of 150,000. [2] However, the prominent Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) refused to join. [3] The ASE finally joined in 1905 but, failing to persuade the other members to unite with it in a single industrial union, withdrew again in 1914. [4] Meanwhile, unions representing unskilled workers were initially excluded; the National Amalgamated Union of Labour was finally admitted in 1908, and the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers in 1910, and only after they had given assurances that they would permit the craft unions to retain a leading role in the organisation. Because it would not sign a similar agreement, the Workers' Union was never admitted. [5] In its early years, the Federation focussed on resolving demarcation disputes, [2] but it soon concentrated on making national agreements for the engineering and shipbuilding industries, allowing the largest union in each trade to take the lead in negotiations. [6]

The confederation adopted its current form and name in 1936. [6] From 1941, the CSEU co-operated with the National Union of Foundry Workers and the Amalgamated Engineering Union in the National Engineering Joint Trades Movement, convincing these two unions to affiliate in 1944 and 1946 respectively. The confederation then represented the vast majority of unionised workers in the relevant industries. [7]

By 1977, the CSEU had 23 affiliates and 2.4 million members, with most workers organised in the relevant sections of the Transport and General Workers Union, General and Municipal Workers Union and Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union. [6] Members in 1979 were: [8]

In 1989, membership was still 22 affiliates and 2 million members but, by 2001, this had fallen to 1.2 million members, [7] and a process of union mergers has greatly reduced the number of affiliated unions and the prominence of the organisation. All current affiliates are also members of the Trades Union Congress.

By 2017 the union had no direct members and was functioning as a federation of the Unite, GMB, Community, Prospect and UCATT trade unions. [9] Since the merger of UCATT into Unite the number of member unions has fallen to four. [10]

Current members

General Secretaries

1890: William Mosses
1917: Frank Smith
1937: Ernest Gilbert
1942: Gavin Martin
1957: George Barratt
1970: Jack Service
1978: Alex Ferry
1994: Alan Robson
2004: John Wall
2008: Dave Gibbs
2009: Hugh Scullion
2017: Ian Waddell

Presidents

FromUntilPresident [12] Union
1897c.1900 Robert Knight USB
19001912 James Millar Jack AIMS
19121922 John Hill USB
19231925 Allan Findlay UPA
19251933 Will Sherwood NUGMW
19331939 William Westwood SCSA
19391941 John W. Stephenson PGDEU
19411943 Harry N. Harrison NUGMW
19431945 Mark Hodgson USB
19451947 John Willcocks SSA
19471948 Mark Hodgson USB
19481958 Harry Brotherton NUSMW
19581959 Wilfred Beard UPA
19591960 Frank Foulkes ETU
19601961 Jim Matthews NUGMW
19611962Harold Poole NUSMWC
19621963 George Doughty DATA
19631964 John McFarlane Boyd AEU
19641965 Ted Hill ASB
19651966 Alf Roberts NUVB
19661967 William Tallon AEU
19671968 William Carron AEF
19681969Leonard Green NUSMWCH&DE
19691970 Percy Hanley AEF
19701971Jack Youngs ASW
19711972Frank Briggs NSMM
19721973Jack Higham NUDAGO
19731974Fred McGuffie EETPU
19741975Charles Stewart FTAT
19751976 Les Buck NUSMWCH&DE
19761977 Len Edmondson AUEW
19771978 Marie Patterson TGWU
19781979 Hugh Scanlon AUEW
19791980 Ken Baker GMWU
19801981 Roy Grantham APEX
19811982 Gerry Eastwood APAC
19821983 Pat Turner GMB
19831984Granville Hawley TGWU
19841985Robert McCusker ASTMS
19851986Tom Crispin TGWU
19861987 Gavin Laird AEU
19871988Todd Sullivan TGWU
19881989 Ken Gill MSF
19891990 Jack Whyman AEEU
19901991 John Weakley AEEU
19911992Charlie Kelly UCATT
19921993 Bill Jordan AEEU
19931995
19951997 Barbara Switzer MSF
19971999Tony McCarthy NUDAGO
19992001 Roger Lyons MSF
20012003John Rowse TGWU
20032005 Diana Holland TGWU
20052007Doug Collins Amicus
20072009John Quigley Unite
20092011Keith Hazelwood GMB
20112019Ian Tonks Unite
20192022 Tony Burke Unite
2022PresentBob King Prospect

References

  1. ↑ Journal, New Zealand Department of Labour (1893), p.72
  2. 1 2 Herbert Tracey, Seventy years of trade unionism, 1868-1938, p.123
  3. ↑ Arthur Ivor Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, p.16
  4. ↑ Edmund and Ruth Frow, Engineering struggles, p.32
  5. ↑ John P. Lynch, An unlikely success story: the Belfast shipbuilding industry, 1880-1935, p.37
  6. 1 2 3 Arthur Ivor Marsh, Trade union handbook, p.84
  7. 1 2 J. C. Doherty, Historical dictionary of organized labor, pp.72-73
  8. ↑ Jack Eaton and Colin Gill, The Trade Union Directory (1979), pp.1-2
  9. ↑ "Annual Return 2017" (PDF). Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  10. ↑ "The CSEU - Confederation of Shipbuilding & Engineering Unions" . Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Structure of the CSEU". CSEU. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Past Presidents of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions". Annual Report of the Conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions: 12. 1987.

8. Angela Tuckett "The Blacksmiths' History. What Smithy Workers gave Trade Unionism" 1974 p250

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