National Graphical Association
The National Graphical Association (NGA) was a trade union representing typographers and related workers in the United Kingdom.
 | |
| Founded | 1964 |
|---|---|
| Date dissolved | 1991 |
| Merged into | Graphical, Paper and Media Union |
| Members | 136,300 (1982) |
| Journal | Print[1] |
| Affiliation | TUC, P&KTF, Labour Party |
| Key people | Robert Willis, Tony Dubbins |
| Office location | Graphic House, Bromham Road, Bedford[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
History
The union was formed in 1964 by the merger of two long-term rival unions, the Typographical Association and the London Typographical Society. It was joined by a large number of small craft print unions including the National Society of Electrotypers and Stereotypers, National Union of Press Telegraphists, Association of Correctors of the Press, Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers. Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers (SLADE) and National Union of Wallcoverings and Allied Trades. By 1982 it had a membership of 136,300.[2]
In 1978 the General Secretary Joe Wade asserted in a letter to the Sunday Times that "recruitment through secondary boycott has been a legitimate trade union tactic for many years."[3]
The NGA merged with the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades in 1991 to form the Graphical, Paper and Media Union.[2]
Election results
The union sponsored several Parliamentary candidates, many of whom won election.
| Election | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 general election | Bristol South | William Wilkins | 26,569 | 63.5 | 1 |
| 1966 general election | Billericay | Eric Moonman | 40,013 | 46.5 | 1 |
| Bristol South | William Wilkins | 26,552 | 67.1 | 1 | |
| 1970 general election | Billericay | Eric Moonman | 43,765 | 47.8 | 2 |
| Feb 1974 general election | Basildon | Eric Moonman | 33,499 | 45.2 | 1 |
| Oct 1974 general election | Basildon | Eric Moonman | 32,298 | 47.9 | 1 |
| 1979 general election | Basildon | Eric Moonman | 32,739 | 40.5 | 2 |
| 1983 general election | Colchester North | Ray Allen | 10,397 | 18.4 | 3[4] |
| 1987 general election | Clackmannan | Martin O'Neill | 20,317 | 53.7 | 1 |
Leadership
General Secretaries
- 1964: Robert Willis and John Bonfield
- 1969: John Bonfield
- 1976: Joe Wade
- 1982: John Jackson and Joe Wade
- 1984: Tony Dubbins
General Presidents
- 1964: Fred Simmons
- 1974: Les Dixon
- 1982: Bryn Griffiths
References
- Eaton, Jack; Gill, Colin (1981). The Trade Union Directory. London: Pluto Press. pp. 160–164. ISBN 0861043502.
- Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions.
- Quoted in 'Report of an Inquiry into Certain Trade Union Recruitment Activities', Cmnd. 7706 (1979) (Leggatt Report), page 16.
- Gennard, John (1990). A History of the National Graphical Association. Unwin Hyman. ISBN 0044458118.