Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress

The Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress was the leading body of the British trade union movement from 1871 until 1921.

History The Trades Union Congress (TUC) was established in 1868 and formed a committee to act on its decisions and direct activities between conferences. Initially, this was an informal body, and the leading role in the movement was taken by the unelected "Junta", with limited backing from their Conference of Amalgamated Trades. In 1871, they decided to dissolve their organisation and throw their support behind the TUC.G. D. H. Cole, A Short History of the British Working Class Movement: 1848-1900, pp.104-105

Now occupying the leading position in the British trade union movement, the TUC decided to formalise its activities. Its committee was re-established as the "Parliamentary Committee", indicating that, at that time, the TUC was focused on lobbying the Parliament of the United Kingdom to enact new legislation favourable to workers, and to ensure that current legislation was enforced.University of Warwick, "The Trades Union Congress, 1936-1939: Its history and organisation"

Trade union membership grew rapidly during the life of the committee, and it was enlarged on several occasions, settling for a time at 12 members, then reaching a maximum of 16. After a rail strike in 1919 was resolved by mediation, Ernest Bevin proposed that the TUC should take on a mediation role throughout the movement. A committee investigated the proposal, and concurred, but argued that the Parliamentary Committee could not take on the work, as it was under-resourced and insufficiently representative. In 1921, it was replaced by the General Council of the TUC, an enlarged body which employed full-time members of staff.Gerald A. Dorfman, British Trade Unionism Against the Trades Union Congress, p.6

Members A full list of members is available in the Trades Union Congress's Report of the 1921 Annual Trades Union Congress. Additional details are from W. J. Davis, History of the British Trades Union Congress.

1868 to 1871 There were six members of the informal committee which existed until 1871:

Year Secretary/Chairman Member Member Member Member Member 1868 W. H. WoodManchester TC C. D. DewhurstBradford TC William DronfieldSheffield TC George PotterLondon TC Peter ShorrocksManchester TC Thomas J. WilkinsonBirmingham TC 1869 George PotterLondon TC Alfred BaileyTailors Edwin CoulsonBricklayers George HowellBricklayers John KaneIronworkers 1870

In 1871, an exploratory Parliamentary Committee was created with five members.

Year Secretary Chairman Member Member Member 1871 George HowellBricklayers George PotterLondon TC Lloyd JonesManchester Fustian Joseph LeicesterFlint Glass Makers Alexander MacdonaldMiners

1872 to 1906 The Parliamentary Committee was firmly established at the 1872 Congress, with nine members, although William Allan was given an additional place for the first year.

Year Secretary Chairman Treasurer Year Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member 1872 George HowellBricklayers Alexander MacdonaldMiners William AllanEngineers 1872 Thomas HallidayAmalg. Miners William HickingNottingham TC David HighamTypographical John KaneIronworkers William LeighSpinners William H. LeatherlandNottingham TC George ThomasLondon Shoemakers 10 members in 1872/3 1873 1873 Daniel GuileIron Founders William OwenTurners George OdgerLondon TC Thomas PlackettLeeds TC Peter ShorrocksTailors9 members in 1873/4 1874 Alfred BaileyTailors Daniel GuileIron Founders 1874 William AllanEngineers Joseph ArchAgricultural Andrew BoaGlasgow TC Henry BroadhurstStonemasons Alexander MacdonaldMiners Thomas MottersheadPreston TC William RolleySheffield TC11 members 1874 – 1894 1875 Robert KnightBoilermakers 1875 Thomas BirtwistleNE Lancs Weavers Thomas HallidayMiners John KaneIronworkers John D. PriorAmalg. Carpenters George ShiptonLondon Painters Henry BroadhurstStonemasons John KaneIronworkers George ShiptonLondon Painters Alfred BaileyTailors John BattersbyScottish Typographical Robert KnightBoilermakers Henry TaylorAgricultural 1876 John D. PriorAmalg. Carpenters 1876 Joseph ArchAgricultural John BurnettEngineers 1877 1877 George M. BallAgricultural Thomas BirtwistleNE Lancs Weavers John InglisBlacksmiths Henry SlatterTypographical Thomas SmithBoot & Shoe 1878 1878 William CrawfordDurham Miners James FitzpatrickLiverpool TC 1879 Henry SlatterTypographical John BurnettEngineers 1879 Alfred BaileyTailors John D. PriorAmalg. Carpenters George ShiptonLondon Painters 1880 William CrawfordDurham Miners 1880 Henry SlatterTypographical 1881 Thomas BirtwistleNE Lancs Weavers 1881 William CrawfordDurham Miners W. J. DavisBrassworkers William PatersonScottish Carpenters Henry SlatterTypographical 1882 John InglisBlacksmiths 1882 Thomas BirtwistleNE Lancs Weavers James MawdsleySpinners 1883 Alfred BaileyTailors 1883 John InglisBlacksmiths G. D. KelleyPrinters W. H. LeatherlandNottingham TC James S. MurchieAmalg. Carpenters George ShiptonLondon Painters 1884 James S. MurchieAmalg. Carpenters 1884 Alfred BaileyTailors J. M. JackIron Moulders James MawdsleySpinners George SedgwickBoot & Shoe 1885 George ShiptonLondon Painters James MawdsleySpinners 1885 James S. MurchieAmalg. Carpenters 1886 Henry BroadhurstStonemasons J. M. JackIron Moulders Henry SlatterTypographical 1886 James MawdsleySpinners George ShiptonLondon Painters James SwiftSteam Engine Makers Stuart UttleySheffield TC 1887 William CrawfordDurham Miners 1887 Edward HarfordRailway Servants John InglisBlacksmiths William InskipBoot & Shoe J. M. JackIron Moulders G. D. KelleyPrinters 1888 George ShiptonLondon Painters 1888 William CrawfordDurham Miners James S. MurchieAmalg. Carpenters 1889 James SwiftSteam Engine Makers 1889 George ShiptonLondon Painters Havelock WilsonSailors 1890 Charles FenwickNorthumberland Miners Edward HarfordRailway Servants William InskipBoot & Shoe 1890 John BurnsEngineers J. M. JackIron Moulders G. D. KelleyPrinters William MatkinGeneral Carpenters Benjamin PickardMiners Stuart UttleySheffield TC 1891 John WilsonDurham Miners 1891 Thomas BirtwistleWeavers Edward HarfordRailway Servants John InglisBlacksmiths James MawdsleySpinners T. R. ThrelfallTypographical 1892 Havelock WilsonSailors 1892 John AndersonEngineers John HodgeSteel Smelters David HolmesWeavers J. M. JackIron Moulders Ben TillettGeneral Labourers John WilsonDurham Miners 1893 John BurnsEngineers 1893 Henry BroadhurstStonemasons Edward CoweyMiners Havelock WilsonSailors 1894 Sam WoodsMiners David HolmesWeavers 1894 John BurnsEngineers Edward HarfordRailway Servants Richard SheldonBelfast TC Will ThorneGasworkers 1895 Edward CoweyMiners 1895 Francis ChandlerAmalg. Carpenters George FergusonEngineers John HodgeSteel Smelters David HolmesWeavers Alexander WilkieShipwrights 1896 Will ThorneGasworkers 1896 Edward CoweyMiners W. J. DavisBrassworkers Robert KnightBoilermakers 1897 Alexander WilkieShipwrights 1897 C. W. BowermanLondon Compositors William MullinCardroom Will ThorneGasworkers 1898 W. J. DavisBrassworkers 1898 Walter HudsonRailway Servants Alexander WilkieShipwrights 1899 Francis ChandlerAmalg. Carpenters C. W. BowermanLondon Compositors 1899 W. J. DavisBrassworkers W. Boyd HornidgeBoot & Shoe W. C. SteadmanThames Barge Builders 1900 C. W. BowermanLondon Compositors W. J. DavisBrassworkers 1900 Charles HobsonKindred Trades James SextonDock Labourers 1901 W. C. SteadmanThames Barge Builders 1901 C. W. BowermanCompositors Francis ChandlerAmalg. Carpenters D. C. CummingsBoilermakers 1902 W. Boyd HornidgeBoot & Shoe W. C. SteadmanThames Barge Builders 1902 Richard BellRailway Servants David HolmesWeavers 1903 Richard BellRailway Servants 1903 W. J. DavisBrassworkers A. H. GillCotton Spinners W. Boyd HornidgeBoot & Shoe 1904 James SextonDock Labourers W. J. DavisBrassworkers 1904 Richard BellRailway Servants James HaslamMiners David ShackletonWeavers W. C. SteadmanThames Barge Builders Alexander WilkieShipwrights 1905 W. C. SteadmanThames Barge Builders D. C. CummingsBoilermakers 1905 Francis ChandlerAmalg. Carpenters James SextonDock Labourers 1906 A. H. GillCotton Spinners 1906 George BarnesEngineers D. C. CummingsBoilermakers

1907 to 1916 The committee was restructured at the 1907 Congress, sixteen members being elected. Eleven were elected from trade groups, and five from a "miscellaneous trades" group.Annual Report of the 1907 Trades Union Congress, pp.194-195 Additionally, the secretary was elected separately. Davis continued to serve as treasurer for three more years before the post was abolished. Since 1900, the chairman had gone on to become president at the annual congress, and this practice was continued.

After only one year, the Engineers group was abolished, its seat given to the Miscellaneous Trades group, and most of the other groups were renumbered.

The groups were as follows:

Group (1907) Group (1908 – 1916) Trades 1 1 Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders 2 2 Building Trades 3 3 Cotton Operatives 4 4 Dock Labourers, Stevedores, Cranemen, Enginemen, etc. 5 Abolished Engineers 6 5 Gasworkers and General Labourers 7 6 Metal Workers 8 7 Miners 9 8 Printing and Paper Trades 10 9 Railway Servants 11 10 Weavers 12 11 Miscellaneous Trades

The members in this period were:

Year Secretary Boilermakers Building Cotton Dock Engineers Gasworkers Metal Miners Printing Railway Weavers Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous 1907 W. C. SteadmanThames Barge Builders D. C. CummingsBoilermakers Francis ChandlerAmalg. Carpenters A. H. GillSpinners James SextonDock Labourers George BarnesEngineers Will ThorneGasworkers W. J. DavisBrassworkers James HaslamMiners C. W. BowermanCompositors Richard BellRailway Servants David ShackletonWeavers Ben CooperCigar Makers W. Boyd HornidgeBoot & Shoe William MossesPatternmakers Joe WilliamsMusicians Alexander WilkieShipwrights Seat added 1908 1908 William MullinCardroom Thomas WatsonEnginemen Group abolished Matthew ArrandaleMachine Workers Harry GoslingWatermen J. A. SeddonShop Assistants 1909 John HillBoilermakers James SextonDock Labourers Herbert EmeryBakers J. H. JenkinsShipwrights 1910 J. E. WilliamsRailwaymen 1911 C. W. BowermanLondon Compositors William MatkinGeneral Carpenters Alfred EvansPrinters' Warehousemen J. W. OgdenWeavers 1912 George EdwardsAgricultural Joe WilliamsMusicians 1913 A. H. GillSpinners Herbert SmithMiners William MossesPatternmakers Alfred SmithVehicle Workers 1914 1915 Francis ChandlerAmalg. Carpenters William MullinCardroom Herbert SkinnerTypographical

1916 to 1921 From 1916, the trade groups were no longer used for elections. The council was enlarged to seventeen members plus the secretary. In 1919, it was cut back again to sixteen members.

Year Secretary Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member 1916 C. W. BowermanLondon Compositors Fred BramleyFurnishing W. J. DavisBrassworkers T. A. FlynnTailors Harry GoslingWatermen John HillBoilermakers J. H. JenkinsShipwrights Edward JudsonSpinners William MossesPatternmakers J. W. OgdenWeavers Alfred OnionsMiners Edward L. PoultonBoot & Shoe James SextonDock Labourers Robert SmillieMiners G. H. Stuart-BunningPostmen J. H. ThomasRailwaymen Will ThorneGasworkers R. B. WalkerAgricultural 1917 Frederick HallMiners Herbert SkinnerTypographical Joe WilliamsMusicians 1918 Margaret BondfieldGeneral Workers Thomas GreenallMiners Robert ShirkieEnginemen Havelock WilsonSailors 1919 Henry BoothmanSpinners A. A. PurcellFurnishing Alonzo SwalesEngineers Reduced to 16 members from 1919 1920 John BeardWorkers Union Arthur PughIron & Steel Robert SmillieMiners Alfred SmithVehicle Workers

References