National Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades
The National Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades (NUGSAT) was a trade union in Britain and Ireland. It represented workers in precious metals, jewellers, diamond polishers, electroplaters, watch and clock repairers and dental technicians.
| Full name | National Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Date dissolved | 1981 |
| Merged into | Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section |
| Members | 2308 (1979) |
| Journal | Newssheet |
| Affiliation | TUC, Labour[1] |
| Office location | Kean Chambers, Mappin Street, Sheffield[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom, Ireland |
The union was founded in Sheffield in 1910 as the Amalgamated Society of Gold, Silver and Kindred Trades,[2] merging several local societies both in Sheffield and Dublin. In 1914, it merged with the Birmingham Silversmiths and Electroplate Operatives union, assuming its final name.[3]
Membership remained low for many years - just over 200 in 1920, and fewer than 100 in 1930. It merged with the Society of Goldsmiths, Jewellers and Kindred Trades in 1969, pushing membership up to 250.[2] The union's Irish members transferred to the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union in 1976,[1] but membership of the union generally increased; by 1979, it had risen to 2,308.[3] In 1981, NUGSAT was absorbed into the Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section.[2]
General Secretaries
- 1911: William Kean
- 1953: J. Edley
- 1962: J. W. Hodgkinson
- 1980s: Brian Bridge
References
- Eaton, Jack; Gill, Colin (1981). The Trade Union Directory. London: Pluto Press. pp. 137–138. ISBN 0861043502.
- John B. Smethurst and Alan Carter, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, Volume 6, p.268
- Arthur Ivor Marsh, Trade Union Handbook, p.191