The Post Office Engineering Union (POEU) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. It represented engineering staff in the Post Office, mostly working in telecommunications.
History
The union was founded in 1915 when the Post Office Engineering and Stores Association and the Amalgamated Society of Telephone Employees merged, to form the Post Office Amalgamated Engineering and Stores Association.London Metropolitan University (London North campus): Post Office Engineering Union, AIM25. In 1922, following the establishment of the Irish Free State, the union's Irish section split away to form the Irish Post Office Engineering Union.John P. Smethurst and Peter Carter, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, p. 456. In 1925, the Post Office Telegraph Mechanicians' Society joined the union.Post Office Engineering Union Research Department 1887-1994 However, by 1939, membership was only 39,000.
By 1983, the POEU was the twentieth largest union in the UK, with membership around 130,000. In 1985, it merged with the Postal and Telecommunications Group of the Civil and Public Services Association, forming the National Communications Union.
Election results The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election from 1966 onwards.
Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position 1966 general election Isle of Ely 19,566 43.8 2Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 158–180. 1969 by-election Newcastle-under-Lyme 21,786 46.1 1 1970 general election Colchester 20,325 35.0 2Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 289–312. Mitcham 22,047 44.2 2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 22,329 48.9 1 1973 by-election Westhoughton 26,294 57.0 1 Feb 1974 general election Edinburgh Pentlands 13,560 30.8 2Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 371–390. Newcastle-under-Lyme 28,603 47.2 1 Westhoughton 30,574 51.5 1 Oct 1974 general election Newcastle-under-Lyme 28,154 49.6 1Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 391–411. Westhoughton 30,373 54.1 1 1979 general election Bexleyheath 13,342 32.7 2 Blaydon 24,687 53.4 1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 28,649 48.5 1 Westhoughton 29,685 48.2 1 1983 general election Blaydon 21,285 44.4 1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 21,210 42.0 1 Wigan 29,859 54.6 1
Leadership General Secretaries 1915: Charles Howard Smith 1938: John Edwards 1947: Douglas Coward 1953: Charles Delacourt-Smith 1972: Bryan Stanley
Presidents 1915: E. W. Bennett 1921: H. A. Barclay 1924: E. W. Goodwin 1926: H. G. Hill 1933: C. T. Saunders 1934: E. W. Goodwin 1935: C. J. Connelly 1936: A. V. Games 1939: Ernie Power 1951: W. J. A. Hughes 1952: L. G. Fox 1955: W. J. Jones 1956: Stan Rosser 1970: John Scott-Garner
References
External links Catalogue of the POEU archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Catalogue of the POESA archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick