President of the Trades Union Congress

The President of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in British trade unionism.

History

Initially, the post of president was elected at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) itself, and would serve just for the duration of the congress. Early standing orders stated that preference had to be given to a candidate from the city where the congress was being held; they were not necessarily well-known figures.[1]

In 1900, the standing orders were changed to state that the presidency would be filled by the person who had chaired the Parliamentary Committee over the previous year. As a result, before 1900, numerous people served as Chair of the Parliamentary Committee without becoming President; after this date, Presidents were prominent figures in the national trade union movement.[2] The Parliamentary Committee was replaced by the General Council in 1921, and the system continued.

There were still rare occasions where the Chair did not become President. Margaret Bondfield, who was elected as Chair in 1923, resigned to accept a government post before becoming President.[3] George Isaacs, who was elected as Chair in 1944, similarly resigned to accept a government post, and was replaced by the vice-president, Ebby Edwards, who had presided over the previous year's congress.[4]

In recent years, the President has once more been elected at the annual congress, but now officially fills the office for the remainder of the year and then presides over the following year's conference (in the years listed below).

Presidents to 1899

George Potter, President in 1871
Edwin Coulson, President in 1881
YearNameUnion
1868William Henry WoodManchester and Salford Trades Council
1869Thomas WilkinsonFlint Glass Makers Friendly Society
1871George PotterLondon Working Men's Association
1872W. H. LeatherlandOrganised Trades Association
1873William LishmanLeeds Trades Council
1874William RolleySheffield Federated Trades Council
1875James FitzpatrickLiverpool Trades Council
1875John BattersbyScottish Typographical Association
1876James C. LairdNewcastle Trades Council
1877Daniel MerrickLeicester Boot and Shoe Finishers
1878George Fowler JonesBristol Trades Council
1879David GibsonEdinburgh and District Trades Council
1880John MurphyFriendly Society of Ironfounders
1881Edwin CoulsonOperative Bricklayers' Society
1882Robert AustinAmalgamated Society of Engineers
1883Thomas SmithAmalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers
1884James ThompsonAberdeen Trades Council
1885T. R. ThrelfallTypographical Association
1886Frederick MaddisonTypographical Association
1887W. BevanAmalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners
1888Samuel ShaftoeYorkshire United Skip, Basket and Hamper Makers Society
1889Robert RitchieDundee Trades Council
1890William MatkinGeneral Union of Carpenters and Joiners
1891Thomas BurtNorthumberland Miners' Association
1892John HodgeBritish Steel Smelters Association
1893Samuel MunroTypographical Association
1894Frank DelvesAmalgamated Society of Engineers
1895John JenkinsAssociated Shipwrights' Society
1896John MallinsonEdinburgh Trades Council
1897John Valentine StevensNational Amalgamated Association of Tin Plate Workers of Great Britain
1898James O'GradyAmalgamated Union of Cabinet Makers
1899W. J. VernonTypographical Association

Presidents from 1900

Will Thorne, President in 1912
Jimmy Thomas, President in 1920
Ben Turner, President in 1928
George Lowthian, President in 1964
Fred Jarvis, President in 1987
Rodney Bickerstaffe, President in 1992
Margaret Prosser, President in 1996
Mary Bousted, President in 2013
YearNameUnion
1900William PicklesNational Amalgamated Society of House and Ship Painters
1901C. W. BowermanLondon Society of Compositors
1902W. C. SteadmanRiver Thames Barge Builders Trades Union
1903W. Boyd HornidgeNational Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives
1904Richard BellAmalgamated Society of Railway Servants
1905James SextonNational Union of Dock Labourers
1906D. C. CummingsUnited Society of Boilermakers
1907Alfred GillBolton Cotton Spinners Association
1908David ShackletonNorthern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers
1909David ShackletonNorthern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers
1910James HaslamMiners Federation of Great Britain
1911William MullinAmalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives
1912Will ThorneNational Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers
1913William John DavisAmalgamated Society of Brassworkers
1915James SeddonNational Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks
1916Harry GoslingNational Transport Workers Federation
1917John HillUnited Society of Boilermakers
1918John William OgdenNorthern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers
1919G. H. Stuart-BunningPostmen's Federation
1920Jimmy ThomasNational Union of Railwaymen
1921Edward L. PoultonNational Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives
1922Robert Barrie WalkerNational Union of Agricultural Workers
1923Joe WilliamsMusicians Union
1924Alf PurcellNational Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association
1925Alonzo SwalesAmalgamated Engineering Union
1926Arthur PughIron and Steel Trades Confederation
1927George HicksAmalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers
1928Ben TurnerNational Union of Textile Workers
1929Ben TillettTransport and General Workers Union
1930John BeardTransport and General Workers Union
1931Arthur HaydayNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1932John BromleyAssociated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
1933Alexander WalkdenRailway Clerks' Association
1934Andrew ConleyNational Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1935William KeanNational Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades
1936Allan FindlayUnited Patternmakers Association
1937Ernest BevinTransport and General Workers Union
1938Herbert Henry ElvinNational Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers
1939Joseph HallsworthNational Union of Distributive and Allied Workers
1940Bill HolmesNational Union of Agricultural Workers
1941George GibsonMental Hospital and Institutional Workers Union
1942Frank WolstencroftAmalgamated Society of Woodworkers
1943Anne LoughlinNational Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1944Ebby EdwardsMiners Federation of Great Britain
1945Ebby EdwardsNational Union of Mineworkers
1946Charles DukesNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1947George Walker ThomsonAssociation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen
1948Florence HancockTransport and General Workers Union
1949Will LawtherNational Union of Mineworkers
1950Herbert BullockNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1951Alfred RobertsNational Association of Card, Blowing and Ring Room Operatives
1952Arthur DeakinTransport and General Workers Union
1953Tom O'BrienNational Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees
1954Jack TannerAmalgamated Engineering Union
1955Charles GeddesUnion of Post Office Workers
1956Wilfred BeardUnited Patternmakers Association
1957Tom WilliamsonNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1958Tom YatesNational Union of Seamen
1959Robert WillisLondon Typographical Society
1960Claude BartlettConfederation Of Health Service Employees
1961Ted HillUnited Society of Boilermakers
1962Anne GodwinClerical and Administrative Workers Union
1963Frederick HaydayNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1964George H. LowthianAmalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers
1965Harold CollisonNational Union of Agricultural Workers
1966Joseph O'HaganNational Union of Blastfurnacemen, Ore Miners, Coke Workers and Kindred Trades
1967Harry DouglassIron and Steel Trades Confederation
1968Lewis WrightAmalgamated Weavers' Association
1969John E. NewtonNational Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1970Sidney GreeneNational Union of Railwaymen
1971Jack CooperNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1972George SmithUnion of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
1973Joseph CrawfordNational Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers
1974Alfred AllenUnion of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
1975Marie PattersonTransport and General Workers Union
1976Cyril PlantInland Revenue Staff Federation
1977Danny McGarvey[5]Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers
1977Marie PattersonTransport and General Workers Union
1978David BasnettNational Union of General and Municipal Workers
1979Thomas JacksonUnion of Post Office Workers
1980Terry ParryFire Brigades Union
1981Alan FisherNational Union of Public Employees
1982Alan SapperAssociation of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians
1983Frank ChappleElectrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
1984Ray BucktonAssociated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
1985Jack EcclesGeneral, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union
1986Ken GillTechnical, Administrative and Supervisory Section
1987Fred JarvisNational Union of Teachers
1988Clive JenkinsManufacturing, Science and Finance
1989Tony ChristopherInland Revenue Staff Federation
1990Ada MaddocksNational and Local Government Officers Association
1991Alec SmithGMB Union
1992Rodney BickerstaffeNational Union of Public Employees
1993Alan TuffinUnion of Communication Workers
1994Jimmy KnappNational Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
1995Leif MillsBanking, Insurance and Finance Union
1996Margaret ProsserTransport and General Workers Union
1997Tony DubbinsGraphical, Paper and Media Union
1998John EdmondsGMB Union
1999Hector MackenzieUNISON
2000Rita DonaghyUNISON
2001Bill MorrisTransport and General Workers Union
2002Tony YoungCommunication Workers Union
2003Nigel de GruchyNational Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers
2004Roger LyonsAmicus
2005Jeannie DrakeCommunication Workers Union
2006Gloria MillsUNISON
2007Alison ShepherdUNISON
2008Dave PrentisUNISON
2009Sheila BearcroftGMB Union
2010Dougie RooneyUnite
2011Michael LeahyCommunity
2012Paul KennyGMB Union
2013Lesley MercerChartered Society of Physiotherapy
2014Mohammad TajUnite
2015Leslie ManassehProspect
2016Liz SnapeUNISON
2017Mary BoustedAssociation of Teachers and Lecturers
2018Sally HuntUniversity and College Union
2019Mark SerwotkaPublic and Commercial Services Union
2020Ged NicholsAccord
2021Gail CartmailUnite

See also

References

  1. Trades Union Congress, Annual Report of the 1874 Trades Union Congress
  2. Trades Union Congress, Annual Report of the 1900 Trades Union Congress, pp.94-95
  3. Daniel Fairchild Calhoun, The United Front!: The TUC and the Russians, 1923-1928, p.46
  4. Trades Union Congress, Annual Report of the 1945 Trades Union Congress, p.23
  5. John Kerr, "Sir Daniel McGarvey - 'boots' to union boss", The Guardian, 27 April 1977, p.3: McGarvey died in office
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