Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions

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

CSEU
Full nameConfederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions
Founded1890
Members5 unions
Key peopleIan Waddell (General Secretary)
Office locationWalworth Road, London, England
CountryUnited Kingdom

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[11]Union
1897c.1900Robert KnightUSB
19001912James Millar JackAIMS
19121922John HillUSB
19231925Allan FindlayUPA
19251933Will SherwoodNUGMW
19331939William WestwoodSCSA
19391941John W. StephensonPGDEU
19411943Harry N. HarrisonNUGMW
19431945Mark HodgsonUSB
19451947John WillcocksSSA
19471948Mark HodgsonUSB
19481958Harry BrothertonNUSMW
19581959Wilfred BeardUPA
19591960Frank FoulkesETU
19601961Jim MatthewsNUGMW
19611962Harold PooleNUSMWC
19621963George DoughtyDATA
19631964John McFarlane BoydAEU
19641965Ted HillASB
19651966Alf RobertsNUVB
19661967William TallonAEU
19671968William CarronAEF
19681969Leonard GreenNUSMWCH&DE
19691970Percy HanleyAEF
19701971Jack YoungsASW
19711972Frank BriggsNSMM
19721973Jack HighamNUDAGO
19731974Fred McGuffieEETPU
19741975Charles StewartFTAT
19751976Les BuckNUSMWCH&DE
19761977Len EdmondsonAUEW
19771978Marie PattersonTGWU
19781979Hugh ScanlonAUEW
19791980Ken BakerGMWU
19801981Roy GranthamAPEX
19811982Gerry EastwoodAPAC
19821983Pat TurnerGMB
19831984Granville HawleyTGWU
19841985Robert McCuskerASTMS
19851986Tom CrispinTGWU
19861987Gavin LairdAEU
19871988Todd SullivanTGWU
19881989Ken GillMSF
19891990Jack WhymanAEEU
19901991John WeakleyAEEU
19911992Charlie KellyUCATT
19921993Bill JordanAEEU
1993-5: ?
1995-7: Barbara Switzer (MSF)
1997-9:
1999-01: Roger Lyons (MSF)
2000s: Diana Holland (Unite)
John Rowse (TGWU)
2005-7: Doug Collins (Amicus)
2007-9: John Quigley (Unite)
2011-: Ian Tonks (Unite)

References
  1. Journal, New Zealand Department of Labour (1893), p.72
  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. Arthur Ivor Marsh, Trade union handbook, p.84
  7. 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. "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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