The union was founded in 1889 by Andrew Hall and Arthur Humphrey in West Ham, late in 1889, Navvies, Bricklayers' Labourers and General Labourers' Union.[1][2]John Ward had been attempting to found a similar organisation in Battersea, and in May 1890 he was persuaded to join the new union, winning election in June as its first president. The union grew rapidly, and by 1892 claimed 5,000 members. The union gradually spread across England and South Wales, developing particular strength in the port at Barry.[2]
In 1897, Ward and Humphrey both resigned, in protest at the union's London-based executive refusing to increase their travel allowances.[2] Ward was appointed as leader of a new South Wales and South Western district, and led a successful strike in Barry. He was elected as the union's general secretary, and moved the headquarters to Barry,[3] although he returned them to London two years later.[4]
In 1920, the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives arranged a merger conference between the four unions of labourers, but Ward returned and withdrew the union from them. He renamed the union as the Public Workers and Constructional Operatives' Union, but it never became a significant force again. In 1929, its Staffordshire district merged into the Transport and General Workers' Union, and the last remnant of the union, still led by Ward, disappeared in 1933.[1]
public, works, constructional, operatives, union, trade, union, representing, labourers, united, kingdom, merged, intotransport, general, workers, unionfounded1889dissolved1933headquarterseast, hill, wandsworthlocationunited, kingdomkey, peoplejohn, ward, gene. The Public Works and Constructional Operatives Union was a trade union representing labourers in the United Kingdom Public Works and Constructional Operatives UnionMerged intoTransport and General Workers UnionFounded1889Dissolved1933HeadquartersEast Hill WandsworthLocationUnited KingdomKey peopleJohn Ward General Secretary Contents 1 History 2 Leadership 2 1 General Secretaries 2 2 Presidents 3 ReferencesHistory editThe union was founded in 1889 by Andrew Hall and Arthur Humphrey in West Ham late in 1889 Navvies Bricklayers Labourers and General Labourers Union 1 2 John Ward had been attempting to found a similar organisation in Battersea and in May 1890 he was persuaded to join the new union winning election in June as its first president The union grew rapidly and by 1892 claimed 5 000 members The union gradually spread across England and South Wales developing particular strength in the port at Barry 2 In 1897 Ward and Humphrey both resigned in protest at the union s London based executive refusing to increase their travel allowances 2 Ward was appointed as leader of a new South Wales and South Western district and led a successful strike in Barry He was elected as the union s general secretary and moved the headquarters to Barry 3 although he returned them to London two years later 4 While Ward remained leader of the union he was away throughout World War I leading a labour battalion and he then led it as an anti Soviet force in the Russian Civil War The lack of leadership led much of the union s membership to defect to its main rivals National Association of Builders Labourers the United Order of General Labourers of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Builders Labourers Union 1 In 1920 the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives arranged a merger conference between the four unions of labourers but Ward returned and withdrew the union from them He renamed the union as the Public Workers and Constructional Operatives Union but it never became a significant force again In 1929 its Staffordshire district merged into the Transport and General Workers Union and the last remnant of the union still led by Ward disappeared in 1933 1 Leadership editGeneral Secretaries edit 1889 Arthur Humphrey 1896 W Martin 1897 John WardPresidents edit 1890 John Ward 1897 Richard Davies 1899 References edit a b c Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan Historical Directory of British Trade Unions vol 3 p 124 a b c Navvies and General Labourers Union Barry Herald 16 October 1896 The Navvies Union Barry its headquarters Evening Express 1 February 1897 The Navvies Union Western Mail 15 September 1899 Arthur Ivor Marsh Concise encyclopedia of industrial relations Gower Press Dec 1 1979 pg 316 nbsp Organized labour portal nbsp This article related to a United Kingdom trade union is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Public Works and Constructional Operatives 27 Union amp oldid 1084215109, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
