General Federation of Trade Unions (United Kingdom)

GFTU

Full name	General Federation of Trade Unions
Founded	1899
Members	214,000
Key people	Doug Nicholls, General Secretary Ben Marshall, president
Office location	London, England
Country	United Kingdom
Website	www.gftu.org.uk

The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) is a national trade union centre in the United Kingdom. It has 35 affiliates with a membership of just over 214,000 and describes itself as the "federation for specialist unions".

History

In the 1890s, the development of socialist organisations and socialist thinking also found expression in the British trade union movement. Many of the new unions formed during that period were committed to the socialist transformation of society and were critical of the conservatism of the craft unions. The debate revolved around concept of building "one-big-union" which would have the resources to embark on a militant course of action and even change society. This thinking gained strength after the 1897 Engineering Employers Federation lockout which resulted in a defeat for engineering workers.

The view that it was necessary to develop a strong, centralised trade union organisation by forming a federation, which had been rejected only two years earlier, was now endorsed at the Trades Union Congress of September 1897. This resulted in the establishment of the General Federation of Trade Unions at a special Congress of the TUC in 1899, the principal objective of which was to set up a national organisation with a strike fund which could be drawn upon by affiliated trade unions.

GFTU participated in the foundation of the International Federation of Trade Unions at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam in July 1919.

Current role

The GFTU now concentrates on servicing the needs of specialist unions. It does this by providing courses, undertaking research for its affiliated Unions and administering a Pension Scheme for officials and staff of affiliated Unions. In keeping with its original objectives, the Federation pays dispute benefit in appropriate cases to affiliated Unions.

The Governing Body is the Biennial General Council Meeting, attended by delegates from affiliated Unions, at which policy and rule changes are debated and an Executive Committee of 14 members elected to meet on a monthly basis between Biennial General Council Meetings.

The Federation undertakes its Parliamentary activities by working closely with John Mann MP, Member of Parliament Bassetlaw Constituency, particularly in respect of proposed legislation.

Affiliated unions

Full members

Aegis
Association of Educational Psychologists
Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union
Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU)
Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations of the United Nations System
Community
Institute of Football Management and Administration
League Managers Association
Musicians' Union
National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers (NACODS)
National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO)
National Association of Stable Staff (NASS)
National Union of Journalists (NUJ)
Professional Cricketers' Association
Society of Union Employees
Social Workers' Union
Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA)
Unity

Associate members

GMB Manufacturing
Prospect Connect Section
Public and Commercial Services Union MOJ Group Excluding NOMS
Unite the Union GFTU Sections

General Secretaries

1899: Isaac Mitchell

1907: William A. Appleton

1938: George Bell

1953: Leslie Hodgson

1978: Peter Potts

1991: Michael Bradley

2010: Doug Nicholls

Chairs

Year	Name	Union
1899	Curran, PetePete Curran	National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers
1910	Gee, AllanAllan Gee	General Union of Textile Workers
1912	O'Grady, JamesJames O'Grady	National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association
1918	Mallalieu, ThomasThomas Mallalieu	Amalgamated Society of Journeymen Felt Hatters
1922	Short, AlfredAlfred Short	National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staffs
1924	Birchenough, Frederick W.Frederick W. Birchenough	Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners
1926	Hutchison, AlexAlex Hutchison	National Union of Stove Grate Workers
1928	Sime, JohnJohn Sime	Dundee and District Union of Jute and Flax Workers
1930	Kean, CharlesCharles Kean	Wallpaper Workers' Union
1932	Aucock, WilliamWilliam Aucock	National Society of Pottery Workers
1934	Saxon, WilliamWilliam Saxon	Amalgamated Machine, Engine and Iron Grinders' and Glazers' Society
1936	Frayne, JosephJoseph Frayne	Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing and Ring Room Operatives
1938	Naesmith, AndrewAndrew Naesmith	Amalgamated Weavers' Association
1940	Lee, JohnJohn Lee	Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association
1942	Taylor, AlbertAlbert Taylor	Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives
1944	Moulden, Horace M.Horace M. Moulden	National Union of Hosiery Workers
1946	Dickinson, FrankFrank Dickinson	Yorkshire Association of Power Loom Overlookers
1948	Worthington, FredFred Worthington	Felt Hatters' and Trimmers' Unions of Great Britain
1950	Knowles, AlbertAlbert Knowles	Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners
1952	Robertson, ArchibaldArchibald Robertson	United Textile Factory Workers' Association
1954	Heap, CecilCecil Heap	Wallpaper Workers' Union
1956	Head, Albert E.Albert E. Head	Chain Makers' and Strikers' Association
1958	Wigglesworth, JackJack Wigglesworth	Iron, Steel and Metal Dressers' Society
1959	Tomkins, Alfred G.Alfred G. Tomkins	National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives
1961	Driver, RobertRobert Driver	Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives
1963	Titherington, FredFred Titherington	General Union of Associations of Loom Overlookers
1964	Jackson, L.L. Jackson	National Society of Pottery Workers
1965	Whitworth, JamesJames Whitworth	Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners
1966	Sleeman, Edwin D.Edwin D. Sleeman	Yorkshire Association of Power Loom Overlookers
1967	Doyle, RobertRobert Doyle	Union of Jute, Flax and Kindred Textile Operatives
1968	Henry, Frederick CharlesFrederick Charles Henry	Waterproof Garment Workers' Trade Union
1969	Hague, FredFred Hague	Amalgamated Weavers' Association
1970	Browning, JamesJames Browning	United Textile Factory Workers' Association
1971	Howcroft, ArthurArthur Howcroft	General Union of Associations of Loom Overlookers
1972	Arnold, J. K. W.J. K. W. Arnold	Ceramic and Allied Trades Union
1973	Tullock, EdwardEdward Tullock	Associated Metalworkers' Union
1974	Gibson, HaroldHarold Gibson	National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers
1975	Whittaker, ThomasThomas Whittaker	Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives
1976	Fenwick, MargaretMargaret Fenwick	Union of Jute, Flax and Kindred Textile Operatives
1977	Hill, D.D. Hill	Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers
1978	Coates, DavidDavid Coates	Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union
1979	Martin, JohnJohn Martin	National Union of Lock and Metal Workers
1980	Wareham, Harry M.Harry M. Wareham	Amalgamated Union of Asphalt Workers
1981	Smith, Leslie R.Leslie R. Smith	Northern Carpet Trades Union
1982	Quinn, J. J.J. J. Quinn	Amalgamated Textile Workers Union
1983	Spencer, AnneAnne Spencer	National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1984	McCarthy, C. P.C. P. McCarthy	National Society of Metal Mechanics
1985	Lambert, DavidDavid Lambert	National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers
1987	McChristie, JamesJames McChristie	GMB Union
1989	Murray, MichaelMichael Murray	Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives
1991	Edmondson, KeithKeith Edmondson	Northern Carpet Trades Union
1993	Hitchmough, AlfredAlfred Hitchmough	Amalgamated Society of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades
1995	Marron, RonRon Marron	Associated Metalworkers Union
1997	McCarthy, TonyTony McCarthy	National Union of Domestic Appliances and General Operatives
1999	Pye, TerryTerry Pye	Manufacturing, Science and Finance
2001	Leahy, Michael J.Michael J. Leahy	Community
2003	Farrell, DesDes Farrell	GMB Union
2005	Oakes, GarryGarry Oakes	Ceramic and Allied Trades Union
2007	Nicholls, DougDoug Nicholls	Community and Youth Workers' Union
2009	Marino, JoeJoe Marino	Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union
2011	Mann, JohnJohn Mann	Community
2013	Fray, JohnJohn Fray	National Union of Journalists
2015	Marshall, BenBen Marshall	Prospect

References

Hyman, Richard (1971). The Workers' Union. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.

External links

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