The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the specialist archive service of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, located adjacent to the Central Campus Library. It was established in October 1973 and holds the world's largest archive collection on British industrial relations, as well as archives relating to many other aspects of British social, political and economic history.
The BP corporate archive is located next to the MRC, but has separate staff and facilities.
Holdings Trade unions The Modern Records Centre holds by far the largest collection of archives of British trade unions in the country. The largest collection held in the centre is the archive of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Other significant collections of archives relating to British trade unions include:
Amalgamated Engineering Union / Amalgamated Society of Engineers Amalgamated Slaters' and Tilers' Provident Society Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers and Auxiliaries Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers Associated Blacksmiths', Forge and Smithy Workers' Society / Associated Blacksmiths' Society Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) Association of Assistant Mistresses Association of Building Technicians / Association of Architects, Surveyors and Technical Assistants Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen Association of Executive Officers / Second Division Clerks' Association Association of Head Mistresses Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX)/ Clerical and Administrative Workers' Union / National Union of Clerks Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs (ASTMS) Association of Scientific Workers Association of Supervisory Staffs, Executives and Technicians (ASSET) / National Foremen's Association Association of Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions Association of University Teachers Barclays Bank Staff Association British Airline Pilots' Association Civil and Public Services Association / Civil Service Clerical Association Communication Managers' Association / Post Office Management Staffs Association / Association of Post Office Controlling Officers Community and Youth Workers' Union Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) Connect Constructional Engineering Union Electrical Trades Union Fire Brigades Union Friendly Society of Iron Founders Friendly Society of Operative Stonemasons General Union of Carpenters and Joiners Guild of Insurance Officials Headmasters' Association / Incorporated Association of Headmasters Inland Revenue Staff Federation Iron and Steel Trades Confederation London Society of Compositors London Typographical Society Manchester Unity of Operative Bricklayers' Society Mental Hospital and Institutional Workers' Union / National Asylum Workers' Union Midland Bank Staff Association Monotype Casters' and Typefounders' Society / Amalgamated Typefounders' Trade Society National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers National and Local Government Officers' Association (NALGO) National Association of Operative Plasterers National Association of Schoolmasters National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education National Graphical Association National League of the Blind and Disabled / National League of the Blind National Society of Metal Mechanics / National Society of Brass and Metal Mechanics / National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (Natsopa) National Society of Painters / National Amalgamated Society of Operative House and Ship Painters and Decorators / National Amalgamated Society of Operative House Painters and Decorators National Union of Bank Employees / Bank Officers' Guild National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives National Union of County Officers National Union of Enginemen, Firemen, Mechanics and Electrical Workers / National Amalgamated Union of Enginemen National Union of Foundry Workers / Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers National Union of General and Municipal Workers National Union of Glovers and Leather Workers National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers National Union of Journalists National Union of Mineworkers National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) / National Union of Corporation Workers National Union of Railwaymen / Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants National Union of Seamen National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers National Union of Teachers National Union of Vehicle Builders / United Kingdom Society of Coachmakers National Union of Wallcoverings, Decorative and Allied Trades / Wallpaper Workers' Union Operative Bricklayers' Society Plumbing Trades Union / United Operative Plumbers' Association Postmen's Federation Post Office Controlling Officers' Association Post Office Engineering Union Printing Machine Managers' Trade Society Prospect Prudential Staff Union Royal London Staff Association Scottish Sheet-Metal Workers' and Braziers' Friendly and Protective Society Sign and Display Trade Union / National Union of Sign, Glass and Ticket Writers and Kindred Trades Society of Chiropodists Society of Civil and Public Servants / Society of Civil Servants Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers (SLADE) Society of Radiographers Society of Telecommunication Engineers / Society of Post Office Engineering Inspectors Steel Industry Management Association Tobacco Workers' Union Training College Association Transport and General Workers' Union Transport Salaried Staffs' Association / Railway Clerks' Association Typographical Association Union of Bookmakers' Employees Union of Communication Workers / Union of Post Office Workers Unison Unite United Commercial Travellers' Association United Kingdom Association of Professional Engineers United Patternmakers' Association United Society of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers / United Society of Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders Wallpaper Trades Superannuation Society Workers' Union
Significant collections relating to trade union federations include the Confederation of Employee Organisations, the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, the Council of Civil Service Unions, the Federation of Post Office Supervising Officers, the General Federation of Trade Unions, the National Federation of Construction Unions (formerly the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives), the National Federation of Professional Workers, the National Joint Committee of Postal and Telegraph Associations, the Post Office Engineering Federation, and the Printing and Kindred Trades Federation.
International trade union federations are represented by major collections of the International Transport Workers' Federation and the World Federation of Scientific Workers.
Collections relating to joint trade union committees include those of the Alcan Foils Wembley Factory trade union committees, the British Leyland Trade Union Committee, Coventry Chain Shop Stewards' Committee, Coventry Trades Council, the GCHQ Trade Union Campaign Committee, and the London Transport Aldenham Bus Overhaul Works trade union committees.
The centre also holds significant collections relating to leaders of trade unions, including:
Ernest Bevin, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, Minister of Labour and Foreign Secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe, general secretary of NUPE and Unison Frank Chapple, Baron Chapple of Hoxton, general secretary of the Electrical Trades Union and Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union Percy Collick, assistant general secretary of ASLEF and Labour MP Frank Cousins, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union and Minister of Technology Frank Crump, general secretary of the National Amalgamated Union of Life Assurance Workers Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, general secretary of SOGAT '82 R. A. W. Emerick, general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers Alan Fisher, general secretary of NUPE Sir Joseph Hallsworth, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees, National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers, and Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers Clive Jenkins, general secretary of ASSET, ASTMS and the MSF Jack Jones, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union Bill Morris, Baron Morris of Handsworth, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union Ron Todd, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union Paul Tofahrn, assistant general secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation and general secretary of Public Services International Bob Willis, general secretary of the London Society of Compositors, London Typographical Society, and National Graphical Association George Woodcock, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress
Large collections of papers of more junior trade unionists include:
Jon Appleton, of NALGO and Unison Alfred Best, of the National Amalgamated Union of Life Assurance Workers Cyril Collard, of the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions John Dore, of the Association of Scientific Workers, ASTMS and the MSF David and Tamar Edwards, of the Amalgamated Engineering Union and the Transport and General Workers' Union respectively Dick Etheridge, of the Amalgamated Engineering Union R. Leonard Fagg, of the Post Office Engineering Union Monty Hughes, of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation Norman Jacobs, of the Civil and Public Services Association J. C. McLauchlan, of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants David Michaelson, of the Amalgamated Engineering Union Peter Morgan, of NALGO Peter Nicholas, of the Amalgamated Engineering Union Aaron Rapoport Rollin, of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers William Henry Stokes, of the Amalgamated Engineering Union Alan Thornett, of the Transport and General Workers' Union Arthur Willitt, of the Post Office Engineering Union, Society of Post Office Engineering Inspectors, Society of the Post-Office Engineering Inspectorate, Society of Telecommunication Engineers, Association of Post Office Executives, and Society of Post Office Executives Amicia Young, of the Association of Scientific Workers
Industrial relations The Modern Records Centre holds some collections of archives relating to joint employer/employee industrial relations negotiating committees. Significant among these are the Inland Revenue Departmental Whitley Council, the Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry, the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board (LACSAB), the National Joint Council for the Engineering Construction Industry, the National Maritime Board, and the National Whitley Council for the Civil Service.
Papers of various academics and/or conciliators concerned with industrial relations include those of Sir George Bain, William Brown, Colleen Chesterman, Hugh Clegg, Bob Fryer, Geoffrey Goodman, Richard Hyman, Grigor McClelland, Arthur Marsh, Sir Jack Scamp, and Bert Turner.
Archives of the British Universities Industrial Relations Association, Incomes Data Services and Industrial Relations Research Unit are also held.
Employers' and trade associations The Modern Records Centre also collects archives of employers' associations and trade associations. The largest of these are the archives of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and its predecessor, the Federation of British Industries (FBI).
Other major association employers' and trade association collections include:
Apparel and Fashion Industry Association