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General Council of the Trades Union Congress

The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC).

Organisation

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The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed by one of the unions affiliated to the TUC. Unions with more members receive an automatic allocation of seats, in proportion to their membership. Smaller unions propose candidates for eleven elected seats. In addition, there are separately elected seats: four for women, three for black workers, at least one of whom must be a woman, and one each for young workers, workers with disabilities, and LGBT workers. The General Secretary also has a seat on the council.[1]

Some members of the council are further elected to serve on the smaller Executive Committee of the TUC. The President of the Trades Union Congress is also chosen by the General Council.[1]

Although the TUC has long had links with the Labour Party, members of the General Council are not permitted to sit on Labour's National Executive Committee.[2]

History

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1921 to 1983

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Until 1921, the leading body of the TUC was the Parliamentary Committee. This had seventeen members, but by the collapse of the Triple Alliance, it was considered ineffective and to have insufficient powers in industrial matters.

The new General Council had 32 members, elected from industrial groups, each consisting of one or more unions operating in a particular industry. Two of the places were reserved for women. It received additional powers to intervene in the case of major industrial disputes, and to resolve inter-union conflicts. In 1924, the Joint Consultative Committee was set up, which brought trades councils ultimately under the control of the General Council.[3] However, these powers were not always exercised; many members of the council in the early years were elected on grounds of seniority, rather than recent accomplishments. Some were associated with left- and right-wing factions, although most were not strongly identified with a particular wing of the movement.[4]

Changes to the groups and numbers of seats were made over time, as the number of workers represented in different industries fluctuated,[5] but the system survived intact until the early 1980s.

Group 1: Mining and Quarrying

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Robert Smillie, member from 1921 to 1927
 
Arthur Scargill, member from 1980 to 1983

Most of the members elected from Group 1 represented the large Miners' Federation of Great Britain, or its successor, the National Union of Mineworkers, but there were several smaller unions which often managed to win one seat.[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Robert Thomas Jones NWQU Robert Smillie MFGB Hugh Murnin MFGB
1922 Herbert Smith MFGB
1925 Thomas Richards MFGB
1927 A. J. Cook MFGB
1931 Herbert Smith MFGB Ebby Edwards MFGB
1932 John McGurk MFGB
1933 Peter Lee MFGB William Forshaw LCNWCEBBF
1934 Joseph Jones MFGB
1935 Will Lawther MFGB
1938 R. W. Williams NWQU
1946 Jim Bowman NUM Robert J. Jones NWQU
1950 Bartholomew Walsh NACODS
1950 Ernest Jones NUM
1954 Edwin Hall NUM
1957 Bartholomew Walsh NACODS
1960 Joseph Crawford NACODS Will Paynter NUM Len Martin NUM
1961 Fred Collindridge NUM
1963 Sidney Ford NUM
1971 Lawrence Daly NUM Representation reduced to two seats[7]
1973 Joe Gormley NUM
1980 Arthur Scargill NUM
1981 Ray Chadburn NUM
1982 Mick McGahey NUM

Group 2: Railways

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J. H. Thomas, member from 1921 to 1924, and 1925 to 1929

Throughout this period, Group 2 comprised three railway unions: the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA). Each usually saw its general secretary elected to one of the three seats, although the abolition of one seat in 1969 left a battle between ASLEF and the TSSA for the second seat.[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Alexander Walkden TSSA J. H. Thomas NUR John Bromley ASLEF
1924 John Marchbank NUR
1925 J. H. Thomas NUR
1929 Charlie Cramp NUR
1933 John Marchbank NUR
1936 William Stott TSSA Richard Squance ASLEF
1940 Charles Gallie TSSA William P. Allen ASLEF
1944 John Benstead NUR
1947 Fred Bostock TSSA Jim Figgins NUR Jim Baty ASLEF
1948 George Thorneycroft TSSA
1953 Bill Webber TSSA Jim Campbell NUR
1955 Albert Hallworth ASLEF
1957 Sidney Greene NUR
1960 William Evans ASLEF
1963 John Bothwell TSSA Albert Griffiths ASLEF
1968 Percy Coldrick TSSA
1969 Seat abolished[8]
1972 Ray Buckton ASLEF
1975 Sidney Weighell NUR

Group 3: Transport (other than railways)

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Ernest Bevin, member from 1925 to 1940

By far the largest union in Group 3 was the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), although representatives of the National Union of Seamen and a couple of minor unions often secured one seat.[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Harry Gosling ASWLB Ben Tillett TGWU Created 1930 Created 1968[9] Created 1977[10]
1924 Joe Cotter AMWU
1925 Ernest Bevin TGWU
1930 John Beard TGWU
1931 William Robert Spence NUS
1935 Walter Farthing TGWU
1940 Arthur Deakin TGWU
1942 Charles Jarman NUS
1944 Bert Papworth TGWU
1947 Tom Yates NUS
1949 Albert McAndrews TGWU
1955 Jock Tiffin TGWU A. L. Hill TGWU
1956 Frank Cousins TGWU
1958 Len Forden TGWU
1961 Jim Scott NUS
1962 Bill Hogarth NUS
1965 Harry Nicholas TGWU
1966 Frank Cousins TGWU
1967 Bill Jones TGWU
1968 Jack Jones TGWU
1969 Harry Urwin TGWU
1970 Fred Howell TGWU
1972 John Slater MNAOA
1974 Jim Slater NUS Stan Pemberton TGWU
1977 Moss Evans TGWU
1978 Walter Greendale TGWU
1980 Larry Smith TGWU
1982 Derek Gray TGWU

Group 4: Shipbuilding

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John Hill, member from 1921 to 1936

The Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers dominated Group 4, with various smaller unions gradually merging into it or the general unions.[6]

Year Representative Union
1921 John Hill ASB
1936 Mark Hodgson ASB
1948 Ted Hill ASB
1965 Danny McGarvey ASB
1977 John Chalmers ASB
1980 Jim Murray ASB

Group 5: Engineering, Founding and Vehicle Building

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Hugh Scanlon, member from 1968 to 1978

Group 5 contained a large number of unions - 26 in 1934 - and while the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) reliably won at least one seat, unions like the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and United Patternmakers' Association (UPA) often won seats.[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Alonzo Swales AEU Jimmy Rowan ETU Allan Findlay UPA Created 1968[9]
1935 Harry Berry AEU George Walker Thomson AESD
1938 James Kaylor AEU
1941 Ernest Bussey ETU
1943 Jack Tanner AEU
1947 Wilfred Blackwell Beard UPA
1948 Robert Openshaw AEU
1954 William Carron AEU
1957 William Tallon AEU
1967 John McFarlane Boyd AEU Alf Roberts NUVB
1968 Percy Hanley AEF Hugh Scanlon AEF
1970 Len Edmondson AUEW
1972 Les Buck NUSMWCH&D
1975 Reg Birch AUEW
1977 George Guy NUSMWCH&D
1978 John McFarlane Boyd AUEW Terence Duffy AUEW
1979 Gavin Laird AUEW
1982 Ed Scrivens AUEW Gerry Russell AUEW

Group 6: Technical, Engineering and Scientific

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Year Representative Union Representative Union
1968 Created 1968[9] Created 1974[11]
1968 George Doughty TASS
1974 Ken Gill TASS Clive Jenkins ASTMS

Group 7: Electrical

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Year Representative Union
1965 Created[12]
1965 Les Cannon EETPU
1971 Frank Chapple EETPU

Group 8: Iron and Steel and Minor Metal Trades

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The Iron and Steel and Minor Metal Trades Group was originally Group 6, but was renumbered in 1968. The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) was the largest union in the group, and consistently held one of its seats. Until 1966, there was a second seat, held by the tiny National Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades (NUGSAT), and later by the National Union of Blastfurnacemen (NUB). There were many other small unions in the group - in 1934, it had 23 members.[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Arthur Pugh ISTC William Kean NUGSAT
1935 John Brown ISTC
1945 Lincoln Evans ISTC Ambrose Callighan NUB
1947 Jack Owen NUB
1953 Harry Douglass ISTC Joseph O'Hagan NUB
1966 Reduced to 1 seat
1967 Dai Davies ISTC
1975 Bill Sirs ISTC

Group 9: Building, Woodworking and Furnishing

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George Lowthian, member from 1952 to 1973

The Building, Woodworking and Furnishing Group was originally Group 7, but was renumbered in 1965. While there were initially a large number of unions in the group, the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers (AUBTW) and Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW) generally won the seats, and later became part of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), which dominated the group from the 1970s. The National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association (NAFTA) won a seat in the early years, and pursued an independent course throughout this period.[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union
1921 George Hicks AUBTW A. A. Purcell NAFTA
1928 Frank Wolstencroft ASW
1940 Luke Fawcett AUBTW
1949 Jack McDermott ASW
1952 George Lowthian AUBTW
1958 John C. Hill ASW
1959 George Smith ASW
1973 Glynn Lloyd UCATT
1979 Les Wood UCATT

Group 9: Cotton

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John William Ogden, member from 1921 to 1930

The Cotton Group was the original Group 9; in 1968, it was merged into the Textiles Group. The cotton industry had a large number of small trade unions, and in 1934, the group had 46 members. Unusually, the majority of individual members of the unions were women, but the seats were always won by men, representing one of the three amalgamations to which most of the unions belonged: the Amalgamated Weavers' Association (AWA), the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners (AAOCS), and the Cardroom Amalgamation (CWA).[6]

Year Representative Union Representative Union
1921 John William Ogden AWA Henry Boothman AAOCS
1930 James Hindle AWA
1936 William Wood AAOCS
1937 James Bell AWA
1938 Robert C. Handley AAOCS
1940 Alfred Roberts CWA
1945 Andrew Naesmith AWA
1953 Lewis Wright AWA
1963 Reduced to 1 seat[13]
1968 Merged into Textiles Group

Group 10: Printing and Paper

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The Printing and Paper Group was originally Group 8, but was renumbered in 1968. Almost all of its members were involved with printing, and in the early years, the seat was contested by four larger unions: the London Society of Compositors (LSC), National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA), National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers (NUPBPW), and Typographical Association (TA).[6] Over the years, these undertook a series of mergers, forming new unions, including the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT).

Year Representative Union
1921 Herbert Skinner TA
1932 George Isaacs NATSOPA
1945 E. W. Spackman NUPBPW
1947 Robert Willis LSC
1965 Richard Briginshaw NATSOPA
1975 Bill Keys SOGAT

Group 11: Textiles

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Ben Turner, member from 1921 to 1929

The Textiles Group was originally Group 10: Textiles (other than cotton). Although there were a wide variety of unions - 18 in 1934 - the National Union of Textile Workers (NUTW), and then its successor, the National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers (NUDBTW), almost always won the seat.[6] In 1968, the cotton group was merged in, forming Group 11: Textiles, and while the dyers generally won the seat (latterly as a section of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), the main cotton workers' union, the National Union of Textile and Allied Workers (NUTAW), held it for a few years.

Year Representative Union
1921 Ben Turner NUTW
1929 Arthur Shaw NUDBTW
1939 George Bagnall NUDBTW
1948 Wilfred Heywood NUDBTW
1957 Leonard Sharp NUDBTW
1966 Jack Peel NUDBTW
1972 Joe King NUTAW
1975 Fred Dyson NUDBTW
1979 Bill Maddocks NUDBTW
1982 Eddie Haigh TGWU

Group 12: Clothing

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The Clothing Group was dominated by the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers (NUTGW), which gradually absorbed the smaller unions of tailors. It also included unions for hosiery workers which eventually merged as the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers, and the two Felt Hatters' and Trimmers' Unions of Great Britain.[14] Originally Group 11, in 1968 it absorbed the Boot, Shoe and Leather Group, and was renumbered as Group 12.

Year Representative Union
1921 Andrew Conley NUTGW
1949 Anne Loughlin NUTGW
1953 John E. Newton NUTGW
1970 Jack Macgougan NUTGW
1979 Alec Smith NUTGW

Group 12: Boot, Shoe and Leather

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William R. Townley, member from 1930 to 1937

The Boot, Shoe and Leather Group was dominated by the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO). It also included smaller rivals, notably the Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives, unions of leather workers, and the National Union of Glovers.[14] The Boot, Shoe and Leather Group was the original Group 12, but in 1968 it was merged into the Clothing Group.

Year Representative Union
1921 Edward L. Poulton NUBSO
1930 William R. Townley NUBSO
1937 George Chester NUBSO
1949 James Crawford NUBSO
1957 Lionel Poole NUBSO
1959 Sydney Robinson NUBSO

Group 13: Glass, Pottery, Chemicals, Food, Drink, Tobacco, Brushmaking and Distribution

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John Turner, member from 1921 to 1925

Group 13 was highly diverse. The most important unions were those involved in distribution, the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks (NAUSAWC) and the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), which later merged to form the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.[14] In 1952, a second seat was added, and this was invariably filled by representatives of smaller unions, the largest of which were the Bakers', Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) and the National Society of Pottery Workers (NSPW). There were many smaller unions, and the Tobacco Workers' Union (TWU) secured representation for a few years.

Year Representative Union Representative Union
1921 John Turner NAUSAWC Created 1952[5]
1925 John Leslie NAUSAWC
1926 Joseph Hallsworth NUDAW
1947 A. W. Burrows USDAW
1949 Alan Birch USDAW
1952 Harold Hewitt NSPW
1962 Alf Allen USDAW
1964 Ernest Haynes BFAWU
1969 Stan Gretton BFAWU
1973 Doug Grieve TWU
1979 Bill Whatley USDAW

Group 14: Agriculture

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Harold Collison, member from 1953 to 1970

For most of the period, the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers (NUAAW) was the only union in Group 14. The Scottish Farm Servants' Union, initially also in this group, merged into the Transport and General Workers' Union early on.[14]

Year Representative Union
1921 Robert Barrie Walker NUAAW
1928 Bill Holmes NUAAW
1945 Alf Dann NUAAW
1953 Harold Collison NUAAW
1970 Reg Bottini NUAAW
1978 Jack Boddy NUAAW

Group 15: Public Employees

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Rodney Bickerstaffe, member from 1982 to 1983

Group 15 brought together unions of state and local authority workers. However, the Trade Union Act 1927 banned state employees from joining the TUC, leaving the group dominated by the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE), Mental Hospital and Institutional Workers' Union (MHIWU), National Union of County Officers and Fire Brigades Union (FBU).[14] The ban was lifted after World War II, but a new group was added for civil servants. Despite this, the public employees group steadily grew in size, the affiliation of the National and Local Government Officers' Association and the National Union of Teachers being particularly important, while the Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) absorbed the MHIWU.

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1921 John William Bowen UPW Created 1965[12] Created 1968[9] Created 1970 Created 1977[10]
1928 George Gibson MHIWU
1948 Claude Bartlett COHSE
1963 Sydney Hill NUPE
1965 Walter Anderson NALGO
1968 Alan Fisher NUPE Terry Parry FBU
1970 Edward Britton NUT
1973 Geoffrey Drain NALGO
1974 Fred Jarvis NUT
1977 Albert Spanswick COHSE
1981 Ken Cameron FBU
1982 Rodney Bickerstaffe NUPE

Group 16: Civil Servants

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The Civil Servants Group was added in 1946, when unions of civil servants were first permitted to affiliate to the TUC.

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1946 Created 1946[15]
1946 Charles Geddes UCW Seat added 1952[5] Seat added 1977
1952 Douglas Houghton IRSF
1957 Ron Smith UCW
1960 George Green CSCA
1963 Cyril Plant IRSF
1967 Thomas Jackson UCW
1977 Tony Christopher IRSF Ken Thomas CPSA
1982 Alan Tuffin UCW Alistair Graham CPSA

Group 17: Non-Manual Workers

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Joe Williams, member from 1921 to 1925

The Non-Manual Workers Group consisted of clerks, insurance staff, workers in entertainment, and doctors. Many of its unions grew rapidly during this period, with the Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX), National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees (NATKE) and Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) becoming important.[14] The National Federation of Insurance Workers - later part of the National Union of Insurance Workers - was also sizable,[6] but never gained a seat on the council, unlike the smaller Musicians' Union.

The Non-Manual Workers Group was originally Group 16 and was renumbered on the creation of the Civil Servants Group, in 1946.

Year Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Joe Williams MU Created 1968[9]
1925 Herbert Henry Elvin NUCAW
1940 Tom O'Brien NATKE
1968 Leslie Littlewood ABS
1970 Alan Sapper ACTT
1971 Roy Grantham APEX
1975 John Morton MU

Group 18: General Workers

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There were initially a large number of unions of general workers, but within a couple of decades, they had all been absorbed into two large general unions - the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW), which became the sole union in this group, and the Transport and General Workers' Union, which was instead placed in Group 3.[14] The General Workers Group was originally Group 17 and was renumbered on the creation of the Civil Servants Group, in 1948.

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1921 John Beard WU Joseph Nicholas Bell NAUL John Davenport UOGL Will Thorne NUGW
1922 Arthur Hayday NUGMW
1923 J. H. Moore NLWU
1924 John Davenport TGWU
1930 Reduced to 3 seats in 1930
1934 Charles Dukes NUGMW Will Sherwood NUGMW
1937 Herbert Bullock NUGMW Harry N. Harrison NUGMW
1947 Tom Williamson NUGMW
1948 Herbert Eastwood URWGB
1949 Tom Eccles NUGMW
1950 Frederick Hayday NUGMW
1959 Jack Cooper NUGMW
1962 Bernard Swindell NUGMW
1966 David Basnett NUGMW
1973 Alex M. Donnet NUGMW Jack Eccles NUGMW
1976 Ken Baker NUGMW

Group 19: Women Workers

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Julia Varley, member from 1921 to 1925, and 1926 to 1935
 
Margaret Bondfield, member from 1921 to 1923, and 1925 to 1929

In 1921, the Women's Trade Union League became the Women's Section of the TUC, and most women's trade unions merged into their counterparts. In exchange, the TUC agreed to create a two-member group, to ensure that women workers had representation on the council.[16] The group was originally numbered 18, and was renumbered on the creation of the Civil Servants Group.

Year Representative Union Representative Union
1921 Julia Varley TGWU Margaret Bondfield NUGW
1923 Mary Quaile TGWU
1925 Margaret Bondfield GMWU
1926 Julia Varley TGWU
1929 Anne Loughlin NUTGW
1935 Florence Hancock TGWU
1949 Anne Godwin NUCAW
1958 Ellen McCullough TGWU
1963 Marie Patterson TGWU Winifred Baddeley AEU
1968 Audrey Prime NALGO
1977 Ada Maddocks NALGO

The group was expanded to five seats in 1981.

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1981 Ada Maddocks NALGO Gina Morgan AUEW Marie Patterson TGWU Muriel Turner ASTMS Pat Turner GMB

1983 to present

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After many years of discussion, a comprehensive restructure of the council was agreed in 1982, and took place following the annual TUC meeting in September 1983. Initially, the new council had 53 members, with those unions with more than 100,000 members gaining automatic seats and therefore becoming eligible to nominate members without them being subject to a vote of other unions. Six seats were initially reserved for women.[17][18]

Section A: Larger unions

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Current members
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Tim Roache, member since 2014
GMB
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative
1983 David Basnett Jack Eccles Ken Baker 3 seats until 1989
1985 Dick Pickering
1986 John Edmonds Derek Oliver Gladwin
1989 Donna Covey Roy Grantham
1992 Alec Smith
1993 Frank Wilkinson
1997 Sheila Bearcroft Eddie Warrillow
1999 Jean Foster
2000 Paul Kenny
2003 Kevin Curran
2004 3 seats 2004-2009
2005 Allan Garley
2009 Malcolm Sage
2011 Paul McCarthy
2014 Neil Derrick Tim Roache
2020 3 seats from 2020
2021 Farzana Jumma Barbara Plant Gary Smith
National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)
Year Representative Representative
2002 In Section B until 2002
2002 Nigel de Gruchy Sue Rogers
2003 Eamonn O'Kane
2004 Chris Keates
2009 Jerry Bartlett
2010 Brian Cookson
2017 Patrick Roach
2020 Michelle Codrington-Rogers
 
Mary Bousted, member since 2003
National Education Union (NEU)
Year Representative Representative Representative
2017 Formed by merger of ATL and NUT
2017 Mary Bousted Kevin Courtney Philipa Harvey
2020 Louise Atkinson
2021 2 seats from 2021 to 2023
2023 Daniel Kebede Louise Regan Niamh Sweeney
 
Rita Donaghy, member from 1987 to 2001
UNISON
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative
1993 Formed by merger of COHSE, NALGO and NUPE
1993 Rodney Bickerstaffe Rita Donaghy Jean Geldart Ina Love Alan Jinkinson Hector Mackenzie Six seats until 2005
1995 Alison Shepherd Chris Connolly
1996 Dave Prentis Wendy Evans
2000 David Anderson
2001 Liz Snape Veronica Dunn Keith Sonnet
2003 Sofi Taylor
2005 Bob Abberley Jane Carolan
2006 Six seats in 2006
2007 Gerry Gallagher Eleanor Smith
2010 Angela Lynes Six seats 2010-2015
2012 Chris Tansley
2013 Karen Jennings
2015 Roger McKenzie
2018 Josie Bird Davena Rankin Six seats from 2018
2021 Andrea Egan Paul Holmes Christina McAnea Kath Owen Tony Wright
2023 Julia Mwaluke Libby Nolan Steve North
 
Len McCluskey, member since 2007
Unite
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative
2007 Formed by merger of Amicus and TGWU
2007 Gail Cartmail Tony Dubbins Len McCluskey Brenda Sanders Derek Simpson Tony Woodley Pat Stuart Dougie Rooney Martin Mayer Paul Talbot
2008 Tony Burke Tony Woodhouse
2009 Reduced to 8 seats
2011 Jane Stewart Steve Turner Andrew Murray
2012 Reduced to 7 seats
2014 Maggie Ryan
2021 Sharon Graham Reduced to 6 seats
2023 Sarah Carpenter Angela Duerden Andy Green
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW)
Year Representative Representative Representative
1983 Bill Whatley One seat until 1989
1986 Garfield Davies
1989 Bernadette Hillon Two seats until 2012
1997 Bill Connor
1998 Marge Carey
2004 John Hannett
2006 Pauline Foulkes
2007 Fiona Wilson
2012 Tony Dale
2018 Ruth Cross Paddy Lillis
2021 Joanne Cairns
2023 Two seats from 2023
Former members
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Bill Jordan, member from 1986 to 1995
AEU/AEEU
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative
1983 Terence Duffy Edward Scrivens Gerry Russell Jack Whyman
1984 3 seats in 1984
1985 Jack Whyman
1986 Bill Jordan 3 seats 1986-1988
1987 John Weakley
1989 Gina Morgan
1990 Jimmy Airlie Maureen Rooney
1992 3 seats in 1992
1993 Jimmy Airlie
1994 Ken Jackson
1995 John Allen Bill Morgan
1996 Robert Elsom Davey Hall
1998 Dougie Rooney Brendan Fenelon
1999 Mark Tami
2001 Merged with MSF to form Amicus
Amicus
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative
2001 Formed by merger of AEEU and MSF
2001 Roger Lyons Dougie Rooney Maureen Rooney Paul Talbot ?
2002 Sharon Allen Danny Carrigan Ken Jackson
2003 Linda McCulloch Derek Simpson Five seats in 2003
2004 Lucy Kelly Ed Sweeney Six seats from 2004
2005 Gail Cartmail Tony Dubbins
2007 Merged with TGWU to form Unite
 
Jeannie Drake, member from 1990 to 2008
Communication Workers' Union (CWU)
Year Representative Representative
1995 Formed by merger of NCU and UCW
1995 Tony Young Jeannie Drake
2002 Billy Hayes
2008 Tony Kearns
2015 Moved to Section B
Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE)
Year Representative Representative
1983 David Williams 1 seat until 1989
1987 Hector Mackenzie
1989 Judith Carter
1993 Merged with NALGO and NUPE to form UNISON
 
Tony Dubbins, member from 1984 to 1988, and 1992 to 2008
Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU)
Year Representative Representative
1992 Formed by merger of NGA and SOGAT
1992 Dennis Hill Tony Dubbins
1993 Tony Burke
2002 Moved to Section B
Manufacturing, Science and Finance (MSF)
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative
1988 Formed by merger of ASTMS and TASS
1988 Anne Gibson Ken Gill Two seats until 1989
1989 Roger Lyons Jack Carr
1992 Three seats from 1992
1993 Barbara Switzer
1999 Paul Talbot
2000 Sharon Allen
2001 Merged with AEEU to form Amicus
National and Local Government Officers' Association (NALGO)
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative
1983 Bill Gill John Daly Norrie Steele 3 seats until 1989
1987 Rita Donaghy
1989 Ada Maddocks
1990 Alan Jinkinson
1991 Jean Geldart Jim White
1993 Merged with COHSE and NUPE to form UNISON
National Union of Public Employees (NUPE)
Year Representative Representative Representative
1983 Rodney Bickerstaffe Lily Stevens 2 seats until 1989
1984 Dilwyn Davies
1985 B. Ward
1986 Joyce Winsett
1987 Ron Baird
1988 Michael Page
1989 Ina Love
1990 Bill Thorburn
1991 Jean Biggs
1992 Anna McGonigle
1993 Merged with COHSE and NALGO to form UNISON
National Union of Teachers (NUT)
Year Representative Representative
2001 In Section B until 2001
2001 Pat Hawkes Doug McAvoy
2004 Steve Sinnott
2005 Lesley Auger
2008 Christine Blower Dave Harvey
2016 Kevin Courtney Philipa Harvey
2017 Merged with ATL to form NEU
 
Mark Serwotka, member since 2002
Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
Year Representative Representative
1998 Formed by merger of CPSA and PSTCU
1998 Gwenda Binks Barry Reamsbottom
2002 Janice Godrich Mark Serwotka
2016 Moved to Section B
 
Bill Morris, member from 1988 to 2003
Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU)
Year Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative
1983 Douglas Gray Walter Greendale Brian Nicholson Larry Smith Moss Evans 5 seats 1983 to 1984
1984 Ron Todd
1985 4 seats 1985 to 1989
1986 Wilf Jowett
1988 Peter Hagger Bill Morris Daniel Duffy
1989 Margaret Prosser Maureen Twomey
1992 Jack Adams 5 seats 1992 to 1995
1995 Peter Landles
1996 4 seats from 1996
1997 Marie Vannet
2000 Barry Camfield
2002 Jane McKay
2003 Tony Woodley
2004 Jimmy Kelly Patricia Stuart
2005 Merged with Amicus to form Unite
 
George Brumwell, member from 1988 to 2002
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT)
Year Representative Representative
1983 Les Wood 1 seat until 1989
1985 Albert Williams
1989 Jack Henry
1991 Peter Lenahan
1992 George Brumwell
1993 Moved to Section B
 
Alan Johnson, member from 1993 to 1995
Union of Communication Workers (UCW)
Year Representative Representative
1983 Alan Tuffin 1 seat until 1990
1990 Margaret Morritt
1992 1 seat from 1992
1993 Alan Johnson
1995 Merged with NCU to form CWU

Section B: Unions with 30,000 to 200,000 members

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Section B originated as part of Section A, unions with 100,000 to 200,000 members being automatically entitled to one seat on the council.

Year APEX ASTMS BIFU CPSA EETPU NASUWT NGA NUM NUR NUT POEU/ NCU SOGAT TASS
1983 Roy Grantham Clive Jenkins Leif Mills Alistair Graham Eric Hammond Fred Smithies Joe Wade Mick McGahey Jimmy Knapp Fred Jarvis Bryan Stanley Bill Keys Ken Gill
1984 Ray Alderson Tony Dubbins
1985 Alistair Graham Brenda Dean
1986 Kate Losinska Arthur Scargill John Golding
1987 John Macreadie Expelled in 1987
1988 Merged into MSF John Ellis Moved to Section B in 1988 E. George Merged into MSF

In 1989, these unions were moved to a new Section B, but there were no changes to their entitlement of seats.

Year ATL CPSA GPMU NASUWT NCU NUCPS NUR NUT Prospect SOGAT UCATT UCU UNIFI
1989 Affiliated 1998 John Ellis Section A until 2002 Nigel de Gruchy Anthony Young Leslie Christie Jimmy Knapp Doug McAvoy Founded 2001 Brenda Dean Section A until 1993 Founded 2006 Leif Mills
1992 Barry Reamsbottom John Sheldon Moved to Section C Merged into GPMU
1993 George Brumwell
1995 Merged into CWU
1996 Merged into PSTCU Ed Sweeney
1998 Peter Smith Merged into PCS
2000
2001 Moved to Section A Paul Noon
2002 Tony Dubbins Moved to Section A
2003 Mary Bousted
2004 Merged into Amicus
2005 Merged into Amicus Alan Ritchie
2006 Sally Hunt
2011 George Guy

Unions with 30,000 to 99,999 members moved to Section B in 2012.

Year ATL CSP Community CWU EIS Equity FBU MU NAHT NUJ POA Prospect PCS RCM RMT SoR UCATT UCU
2012 Mary Bousted Lesley Mercer Michael J. Leahy Section A until 2015 Larry Flanagan Christine Payne Matt Wrack John F. Smith Section C until 2019 Michelle Stanistreet Steve Gillan Mike Clancy Section A until 2016 Affiliated 2015 Bob Crow Section C until 2023 Steve Murphy Sally Hunt
2013
2014 Claire Sullivan Roy Rickhuss Peter Pinkney
2015 Dave Ward In Section C in 2015 Jon Skewes Mick Cash Brian Rye
2016 Michelle Stanistreet Mark Serwotka
2017 Merged into NEU in 2017 Horace Trubridge Merged into Unite in 2017
2018
2019 Paul Whiteman Jo Grady
2020 Stephen Spence
2021 Paul W. Fleming Section C from 2021 Mick Lynch
2022 Naomi Pohl Suzanne Tyler
2023 Andrea Bradley Dean Rogers

Section C: Other unions

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Unions with fewer than 100,000 members were placed in Section B until 1989.

Year Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union
1983 Ray Buckton ASLEF Ken Cameron FBU Tony Christopher IRSF Bob Garland AEU-Foundry Doug Grieve TWU John Lyons EMA Charles P. McCarthy NSMM John Morton MU Laurie Sapper ACTT Bill Sirs ISTC Alec Smith NUTGW
1984 David Lambert KFAT Bill McCall IPCS Bob Stevenson NUFLAT Bert Lyons TSSA
1985 Roy Evans ISTC Roy Grantham APEX Eric Nevin MNAOA
1986 John Morton MU
1987
1988

In 1989, the section for small unions was renamed Section C, and was reduced to eight members.

Year Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union
1989 Bill Brett IPMS Clive Brooke IRSF Roy Evans ISTC David Lambert KFAT John Lyons EMA John Morton MU Alec Smith NUTGW Bob Stevenson NUFLAT
1990 Dennis Scard MU John Newman NUMAST
1991 Ken Cameron FBU David Evans POA
1992 Keith Brookman ISTC Reduced to 7 seats in 1992
1993 Jimmy Knapp RMT
1996 Tony Cooper EMA
1998 John Chowcat NAEIAC
1999 Michael J. Leahy Community Brian Orrell NUMAST
2000 Andy Gilchrist FBU Ged Nichols Accord Richard Rosser TSSA

Increased to 11 members in 2001.

Year Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union
2001 Jonathan Baume FDA Brian Caton POA Paul Gates KFAT Andy Gilchrist FBU Michael J. Leahy Community Judy McKnight NAPO Ged Nichols Accord Paul Noon IMPS Brian Orrell NUMAST Mick Rix ASLEF Richard Rosser TSSA
2002 Jeremy Dear NUJ Paul Mackney NATFHE
2003 Bob Crow RMT Paul Gates KFAT
2004 Gerry Doherty TSSA Ged Nichols Accord
2005 Doug Nicholls CYWU Tim Poil NGSU
2006 Matt Wrack FBU
2007 John F. Smith MU
2008 Christine Payne Equity
2009 Mark Dickinson Nautilus
2010 Bob Crow RMT Steve Gillan POA
2011 Michelle Stanistreet NUJ Simon Weller ASLEF

In 2012, unions with 30,000 to 99,999 members were moved to Section B, and Section C was reduced to seven members.

Year Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union Name Union
2012 Manuel Cortes TSSA Mark Dickinson Nautilus Ged Nichols Accord Dave Penman FDA Tim Poil NGSU Eddie Saville HCSA Simon Weller ASLEF
2013
2014
2015
2016 Nick Cusack PFA
2017
2018 Brian Linn Aegis
2019 Martin Furlong COP
2020
2021
2022
2023 Sarah Woolley BFAWU

Section D: Women

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Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1983 Olwyn Davies NUPE Ada Maddocks NALGO Gina Morgan AEU Marie Patterson TGWU Muriel Turner ASTMS Pat Turner GMB
1985 Margaret Prosser TGWU
1987 Bernadette Hillon USDAW Ina Love NUPE
 
Diana Warwick, member from 1989 to 1992

Reduced to four members in 1989.

Year Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1989 Liz Symons FDA Pam Thomas SOGAT Diana Warwick AUT Margaret Morritt UCW
1990 Jeannie Drake NCU
1992 Pat Hawkes NUT Pat Dwyer UCW
1995 Helen McGrath KFAT Jocelyn Prudence CSP
1996 Anita Halpin NUJ
1997 Penny Holloway AUT
1999 Anita Halpin NUJ Jenny Thurston Prospect
2000 Lesley Mercer CSP
2001 Anita Halpin NUJ
2002 Julie Grant ATL
2003 Sally Hunt AUT
2005 Sue Ferns Prospect
2007 Julia Neal ATL
2009 Joanna Brown SCP
2011 Alice Robinson ATL
2012 Sue Mather Community
2013 Niamh Sweeney ATL
2014 Linda Rolph Accord
2016 Annette Mansell-Green BDA
2017 Vicky Knight UCU
2018 Janice Godrich PCS
2019 Isabelle Gutierrez MU Jane Loftus CWU
2021 Heather McKenzie NEU
2023 Vacant

Sections E, F and G: Black workers

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Year Section E Section F Section G
Representative Union Representative Union Representative Union
1994 Bob Purkiss TGWU Gus Boateng UCW Gloria Mills Unison
1995 Mohan Dhamrait NUT
2000 Mohammad Taj Unite
2001 Leslie Mannaseh Prospect
2015 Micky Nicholas FBU
2017 Susan Matthews Unite
2018 Ian Lawrence Napo

Section H: Disabled workers

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Created 2001

Year Representative Union
2001 Mark Fysh Unison
2011 Seán McGovern Unite
2020 Dave Allen Unite
2023 Martyn Gwyther Unite

Section I: LGBT workers

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Created 2001

Year Representative Union
2001 David Lascelles GMB
2006 Maria Exall CWU

Section J: Young workers

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Created 2001

Year Representative Union
2001 Phil Pinder TGWU
2004 Matthew McGregor TGWU
2005 John Walsh Unite
2011 Fern McCaffrey GMB
2016 Craig Dawson GMB
2018 Charlie Gray GMB

References

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  1. ^ a b Trades Union Congress, "General Council and TUC structure"
  2. ^ Maor, Moshe (1997). Political Parties and Party Systems. London: Routledge. p. 121. ISBN 0415082846.
  3. ^ Laybourn, Keith (1999). Modern Britain Since 1906: A Reader. London: I. B. Tauris & Co. p. 141. ISBN 1860642985.
  4. ^ Calhoun, Daniel Fairchild (1976). The United Front!: The TUC and the Russians, 1923-1928. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 38–40. ISBN 0521210569.
  5. ^ a b c Trades Union Congress, Report of Proceedings at the 83rd Annual Trades Union Congress, p.299
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Souvenir of the Trades Union Congress. Weymouth: Sherren and Son. 1934. pp. 14–30.
  7. ^ Trades Union Congress, Report of the 103rd Annual Trades Union Congress, p.42
  8. ^ Trades Union Congress, Report of the 1968 Annual Trades Union Congress, p.143
  9. ^ a b c d e Trades Union Congress, Report of the 100th Annual Trades Union Congress, p.144
  10. ^ a b Trades Union Congress, Report of the 109th Annual Trades Union Congress, p.27
  11. ^ Labour Research, Vols.62-63, p.235
  12. ^ a b Labour Research, vols.54-55, p.159
  13. ^ Report of Proceedings at the 1961 Annual Trades Union Congress, p.509
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Cole, G. D. H. (1939). British Trade Unionism To-Day.
  15. ^ Trades Union Congress, Report of the 1948 Annual Trades Union Congress, p.301
  16. ^ Boone, Gladys (1968). The Women's Trade Union Leagues in Great Britain and the United States of America. New York: AMS Press. pp. 26–42.
  17. ^ Arthur Marsh, Trade Union Handbook, 3rd Edition (1984), pp.72-74
  18. ^ Trades Union Congress, "TUC General Council members Archived 2017-06-19 at the Wayback Machine"
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Council_of_the_Trades_Union_Congress&oldid=1250822193"
  NODES
Association 12
COMMUNITY 4
Note 1