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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.

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Amalgamated Engineering Union
Merged intoAmalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
Founded1920
Dissolved1 May 1992
Headquarters110 Peckham Road, London
Location
  • United Kingdom
Members1,483,400 (1979)1
Publication
AUEW Journal
AffiliationsTUC, CSEU, IMF, Labour

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.

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

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. source ↗

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.

Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position
1922 general election Aberdeen North Frank Herbert Rose 10,958 55.7 110
Ashton-under-Lyne Tom Gillinder 8,834 42.4 210
Basingstoke Samuel Ledbury 3,035 13.6 310
Camborne Tom Proctor 4,502 21.9 310
Dumbarton Burghs David Kirkwood 16,397 64.5 110
Edmonton Frank Broad 8,407 45.1 110
Gateshead John Brotherton 18,795 43.8 110
Newcastle upon Tyne West David Adams 11,654 43.9 110
Newton Robert Young 12,312 55.6 110
Plymouth Drake James Gorman 8,359 31.4 210
Rochdale Stanley Burgess 15,774 38.8 110
Stalybridge and Hyde Percy Horace Wood 7,578 21.6 310
The Wrekin Richard Edward Jones 10,603 47.6 211
Woolwich West John Thomas Sheppard 9,550 39.8 210
Yeovil William Kelly 9,581 38.3 210
1923 general election Aberdeen North Frank Herbert Rose 9,138 50.6 112
Edmonton Frank Broad 10,735 64.4 112
Gateshead John Brotherton 16,689 41.1 212
Newcastle upon Tyne West David Adams 11,527 43.2 212
Newton Robert Young 12,492 59.9 1 12
Rochdale Stanley Burgess 13,525 32.6 212
1924 general election Dumbarton Burghs David Kirkwood 14,562 59.2 113
Edmonton Frank Broad 11,614 53.1 113
Newton Robert Young 12,875 56.1 113
1929 general election Dartford John Edmund Mills 26,871 50.6 114
Dumbarton Burghs David Kirkwood 19,193 63.1 114
Edmonton Frank Broad 17,555 59.3 114
Newton Robert Young 18,176 60.5 114
1931 by-election Sunderland James Thomas Brownlie 30,074 39.8 215
1931 general election Barrow David Adams 15,835 43.2 216
1935 general election Consett David Adams 25,419 58.7 117
Dumbarton Burghs David Kirkwood 20,409 65.2 117
Newton Robert Young 19,992 58.5 117
1945 general election Aberdeen South William McLaine 17,398 42.3 218
Dumbarton Burghs David Kirkwood 16,262 65.2 118
Manchester Hulme Frederick Lee 12,034 55.6 118
Newton Robert Young 25,197 62.0 118
1948 by-election Edmonton Austen Albu 26,164 53.4 119
1949 by-election Leeds West Charles Pannell 21,935 55.2 119
1950 general election Bury and Radcliffe John Owen 25,705 44.4 220
East Dunbartonshire David Kirkwood 25,943 52.7 120
Edmonton Austen Albu 34,897 55.1 120
Hayes and Harlington Walter Ayles 22,490 60.1 120
Keighley Charles Hobson 21,833 48.5 120
Leeds West Charles Pannell 21,339 51.6 120
Newcastle upon Tyne North W. H. Shackleton 16,860 35.9 220
Newton Frederick Lee 31,832 59.1 120
Rochdale Joseph Hale 25,484 44.9 120
Southall George Pargiter 27,107 53.9 120
1951 general election Cirencester and Tewkesbury Albert Sumbler 18,353 40.5 221
East Dunbartonshire Cyril Bence 26,678 51.2 121
Edmonton Austen Albu 36,023 58.4 121
Esher Percy McNally 15,334 28.6 221
Glasgow Scotstoun John Robertson 20,872 49.3 221
Hayes and Harlington Walter Ayles 23,823 64.8 121
Keighley Charles Hobson 23,743 52.8 121
Leeds West Charles Pannell 22,357 54.1 121
Newton Frederick Lee 31,374 58.3 121
Rochdale Joseph Hale 27,343 49.6 221
Southall George Pargiter 29,123 57.9 121
Southend West Henry Lyall 17,352 30.9 221
Stockport North John Owen 20,893 44.9 221
1955 general election Barry Dan Jones 19,722 42.1 222
Bridgwater Albert Sumbler 17,170 40.8 222
East Dunbartonshire Cyril Bence 24,216 48.7 122
Edmonton Austen Albu 30,232 56.6 122
Glasgow Woodside John McGinley 15,543 43.9 222
High Peak Neil McBride 13,652 34.6 222
Keighley Charles Hobson 19,414 46.5 122
Leeds West Charles Pannell 24,576 52.8 122
Newton Frederick Lee 29,299 57.9 122
Rochdale Jack McCann 24,928 48.5 222
Southall George Pargiter 25,207 57.2 122
Stockport South Ernie Roberts 16,612 44.5 222
1958 by-election Rochdale Jack McCann 22,133 44.7 123
1959 general election Burnley Dan Jones 27,675 57.0 123
Doncaster Ted Garrett 22,935 46.4 223
East Dunbartonshire Cyril Bence 27,942 51.1 123
Edmonton Austen Albu 25,598 50.5 123
Glasgow Scotstoun William Small 24,690 53.7 123
Glasgow Woodside John McGinley 14,483 43.1 223
High Peak Bernard Conlan 13,827 34.0 223
Keighley Charles Hobson 20,456 49.8 223
Leeds West Charles Pannell 25,878 54.9 123
Newton Frederick Lee 31,041 57.4 123
Oxford Leslie Anderton 18,310 34.8 223
Rochdale Jack McCann 21,689 41.5 123
Southall George Pargiter 22,285 52.7 123
South Northamptonshire Arthur Richardson 18,292 43.0 223
Stockport South Stan Orme 17,982 46.7 223
1963 by-election Swansea East Neil McBride 18,909 61.1 1
1964 general election Bradford North Ben Ford 17,905 43.6 124
Bristol North West David Watkins 21,030 42.9 224
Burnley Dan Jones 25,244 56.8 124
Doncaster Harold Walker 23,845 49.9 124
East Dunbartonshire Cyril Bence 32,948 55.6 124
Edmonton Austen Albu 24,373 49.2 124
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 26,633 64.5 124
Glasgow Scotstoun William Small 27,036 61.6 124
Keighley John Binns 17,816 43.0 124
Leeds West Charles Pannell 22,968 50.5 124
Newton Frederick Lee 32,932 56.0 124
Paisley John Robertson 26,318 52.9 124
Rochdale Jack McCann 22,927 46.7 124
Salford West Stan Orme 20,490 55.5 124
Southall George Pargiter 18,041 48.0 124
Swansea East Neil McBride 30,904 73.0 124
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 19,458 54.7 124
Truro Douglas Grazier 14,224 31.5 224
Wallsend Ted Garrett 39,841 60.4 124
1966 general election Bradford North Ben Ford 21,727 55.4 125
Burnley Dan Jones 25,583 60.4 125
Consett David Watkins 29,753 73.3 125
Doncaster Harold Walker 25,777 56.7 125
East Dunbartonshire Cyril Bence 32,988 52.2 125
Edmonton Austen Albu 26,422 58.6 125
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 27,628 69.6 125
Glasgow Scotstoun William Small 27,320 61.8 125
Keighley John Binns 22,039 55.0 125
Leeds West Charles Pannell 24,391 56.3 125
Newton Frederick Lee 36,901 62.8 125
Paisley John Robertson 28,074 60.0 125
Rochdale Jack McCann 24,481 52.4 125
Salford West Stan Orme 19,237 59.2 125
Swansea East Neil McBride 30,290 75.4 125
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 17,367 65.3 125
Wallsend Ted Garrett 39,744 65.2 125
1970 general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 27,707 62.1 126
Bradford North Ben Ford 20,141 52.1 126
Burnley Dan Jones 24,200 57.0 126
Consett David Watkins 28,985 70.9 126
Doncaster Harold Walker 22,658 50.7 126
Edmonton Austen Albu 20,626 49.1 126
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 28,524 64.8 126
Glasgow Scotstoun William Small 26,492 57.4 126
Keighley John Binns 20,341 49.3 226
Leeds West Charles Pannell 21,618 51.8 126
Louth James Murray 16,403 33.9 226
Merthyr Tydfil Taliesin Lloyd 9,234 28.7 226
Newton Frederick Lee 34,873 52.5 126
Paisley John Robertson 25,429 54.1 126
Rochdale Jack McCann 19,247 41.6 126
Salford West Stan Orme 16,986 54.3 126
South Northamptonshire Gordon Roberts 21,131 37.2 226
South West Norfolk Leslie Potter 16,572 42.7 226
Swansea East Neil McBride 28,183 68.5 126
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 17,367 61.3 126
Wallsend Ted Garrett 39,065 61.3 126
1973 by-election Dundee East George Machin 14,411 32.7 127
1974 Feb general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 23,193 47.7 128
Bradford North Ben Ford 22,381 43.3 128
Bridgwater Roger Undy 16,786 29.5 228
Burnley Dan Jones 21,108 50.4 128
Carlton James Murray 20,147 33.5 228
Chorley George Rodgers 25,440 40.3 128
Consett David Watkins 27,401 61.1 128
Coventry North East George Park 30,496 63.9 128
Doncaster Harold Walker 23,041 47.9 128
Dundee East George Machin 17,100 33.7 228
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 27,269 55.2 128
Glasgow Garscadden William Small 21,035 52.3 128
Gloucester Alf Pegler 18,215 35.2 228
Leeds West Joseph Dean 19,436 42.1 128
Newton John Evans 38,369 49.3 128
Paisley John Robertson 23,820 48.4 128
St Pancras North Jock Stallard 14,761 52.8 128
Salford West Stan Orme 16,808 51.3 128
Swansea East Neil McBride 28,537 66.3 128
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 16,999 54.8 128
Wallsend Ted Garrett 41,811 62.0 128
1974 Oct general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 23,130 50.9 127
Bradford North Ben Ford 22,841 49.1 127
Burnley Dan Jones 21,642 54.8 127
Chorley George Rodgers 27,290 44.1 127
Consett David Watkins 27,123 67.0 127
Coventry North East George Park 26,489 59.5 127
Doncaster Harold Walker 22,177 51.3 127
Dundee East George Machin 15,137 32.7 227
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 27,620 61.9 127
Glasgow Garscadden William Small 19,737 50.9 127
Leeds West Joseph Dean 20,669 49.6 127
Newton John Evans 38,956 53.3 127
Paisley John Robertson 21,368 44.8 127
Rochdale John Connell 17,339 36.8 227
St Pancras North Jock Stallard 14,155 58.5 127
Salford West Stan Orme 17,112 57.2 127
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 15,708 58.8 127
Wallsend Ted Garrett 37,180 58.1 127
1979 general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 26,771 59.3 129
Bradford North Ben Ford 25,069 50.9 129
Burnley Dan Jones 20,172 50.8 129
Chorley George Rodgers 28,546 43.0 229
Consett David Watkins 26,708 61.3 129
Coventry North East George Park 27,010 57.3 129
Doncaster Harold Walker 22,184 48.9 129
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 28,776 61.2 129
Hackney North and Stoke Newington Ernie Roberts 14,688 51.6 129
Kilmarnock William McKelvey 25,718 52.6 129
Leeds West Joseph Dean 21,290 49.4 129
Manchester Blackley Ken Eastham 20,346 50.4 129
Newton John Evans 41,466 51.4 129
Rochdale John Connell 16,878 34.3 229
St Pancras North Jock Stallard 14,556 54.2 129
Salford West Stan Orme 18,411 61.5 129
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 16,299 56.9 129
Wallsend Ted Garrett 38,214 55.1 129
1983 general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 19,262 47.0 130
Coventry North East George Park 22,190 47.8 130
Doncaster Central Harold Walker 21,154 42.0 130
Edinburgh Leith Ron Brown 16,177 39.7 1
Gateshead East Bernard Conlan 22,981 48.3 130
Hackney North and Stoke Newington Ernie Roberts 18,989 52.0 130
Kilmarnock and Loudoun William McKelvey 20,250 43.6 130
Leeds West Joseph Dean 15,860 34.0 2
Manchester Blackley Ken Eastham 20,132 48.1 1
St Helens North John Evans 25,334 47.9 1
Salford East Stan Orme 21,373 53.7 1
Tottenham Norman Atkinson 22,423 52.0 130
Wallsend Ted Garrett 26,615 50.1 1
1985 by-election Tyne Bridge David Clelland 13,517 57.8 1
1986 by-election Knowsley North George Howarth 17,403 56.3 1
1987 general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 24,145 54.7 1
Bury North David Crausby 21,186 37.8 231
Caithness and Sutherland Allan Byron 3,437 14.9 331
Doncaster Central Harold Walker 26,266 51.2 131
Edinburgh Leith Ron Brown 21,104 49.3 131
Feltham and Heston Charles Hinds 22,325 37.4 231
Glasgow Pollok Jimmy Dunnachie 23,239 63.1 131
Kilmarnock and Loudoun William McKelvey 23,713 48.5 1
Knowsley North George Howarth 27,454 69.9 131
Manchester Blackley Ken Eastham 22,476 52.4 131
St Helens North John Evans 28,989 53.7 131
Salford East Stan Orme 22,555 58.8 131
Sheffield Central Richard Caborn 25,872 67.7 131
Sheffield Heeley Bill Michie 28,425 53.4 131
Tyne Bridge David Clelland 23,131 63.0 131
Wallsend Ted Garrett 32,709 56.8 131
1992 general election Aberdeen North Robert Hughes 18,845 47.0 1
Bolton North East David Crausby 21,459 44.5 2
Doncaster Central Harold Walker 27,795 54.3 1
Glasgow Pollok Jimmy Dunnachie 14,170 43.4 1
Kilmarnock and Loudoun William McKelvey 22,210 44.8 1
Knowsley North George Howarth 27,517 77.5 1
Manchester Blackley Ken Eastham 23,031 60.2 1
Rotherham Jimmy Boyce 27,933 63.9 1
Salford East Stan Orme 20,327 60.0 1
Sheffield Central Richard Caborn 22,764 68.7 1
Sheffield Heeley Bill Michie 28,005 55.7 1
St Helens North John Evans 31,930 57.9 1
Tyne Bridge David Clelland 22,328 67.2 1

Leadership

General Secretaries

AEU
1920: Tom Mann
1921: Albert Smethurst
1933: Fred A. Smith
1943: Benjamin Gardner
1956: Cecil Hallett
1965: Jim Conway
AEF/AUEW
Year Construction Engineering Foundry TASS
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

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.
External links