The Tobacco Workers' Union (TWU) was a trade union representing workers in all areas of the tobacco industry in the United Kingdom.
History The union was founded in 1834 in London as the Friendly Society of Operative Tobacconists. Two years later, it expanded its membership to include tobacco cutters, dryers and stovers and was renamed the United Tobacconists Society. In 1851, it expanded again to include cigarette makers, and in 1881 it took another name, the United Operative Tobacconists throughout the Kingdom. For much of this period, the union was based in Liverpool at the houses of its successive general secretaries, but in 1918 it relocated to London.Tobacco Workers' Union, The Tobacco Workers' Union, 1834-1984
In 1925, the association became an industrial union, admitting all workers in the tobacco industry, including women, and adopted its final name. However, the following year, it was disaffiliated from the Trades Union Congress after other unions complained that it was poaching their members. It rejoined only in 1941.University of Warwick, "Tobacco Workers' Union" In 1946, the union merged with the rival National Cigar and Tobacco Workers' Union.
In 1986, the union merged into Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section, forming the union's new Tobacco Sector.
Election results The union sponsored its Liverpool district organiser as a Labour Party candidate in the 1959 general election:Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.179-201"Fred Barton", Manchester Guardian, 18 December 1963
Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position Middleton and Prestwich 21,248 40.4 2
General secretaries 1834: Robert Stevens
1910s: E. Kayler 1924: C. W. Dorrell 1925: Andrew Boyd 1941: Percy Belcher 1964: David Burke 1967: Charles Butler 1969: Doug Grieve
References
External links Catalogue of the TWU archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick