Union of Communication Workers

The Union of Communication Workers (UCW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries.

Union of Communication Workers
Merged intoCommunication Workers' Union
Founded1 January 1920
Dissolved1995
HeadquartersUCW House, Crescent Lane, Clapham
Location
Members
203,000 (1990)[1]
PublicationThe Post[2]
AffiliationsTUC, Labour, PTTI

History

The union was founded in 1919 as the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) by the merger of the Postmen's Federation, Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association and the Fawcett Association. It achieved official recognition, and as a result, in 1920 the London Postal Porters' Association, Central London Postmen's Association, Tracers' Association, Tube Staff Association, Messengers' Association and Sorters' Association all merged with it.[3] It was banned legally from TUC membership from 1927 to 1946.[4] Its longest strike was for 7 weeks in 1971.

It changed its name in 1980, and merged with the National Communications Union in 1995 to form the Communication Workers' Union.[3]

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election. From 1927 until the end of World War II, the union was legally barred from affiliating to the party, so its candidates in that period are omitted from many sources.[5][6]

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1922 general electionBuryHarry Wallace9,64336.72
Camberwell NorthCharles Ammon8,32050.81
CarlisleGeorge Middleton7,87037.61
HarboroughWalter Baker6,20528.23
Newport (Monmouthshire)John William Bowen16,00045.72
Stockton-on-TeesFrederick Fox Riley11,18334.32
1923 general electionBristol EastWalter Baker14,82453.71
BuryHarry Wallace9,56836.12
Camberwell NorthCharles Ammon10,62064.21
CarlisleGeorge Middleton9,12040.51
NewportJohn William Bowen14,10038.62
Stockton-on-TeesFrederick Fox Riley10,61931.23
1924 general electionBristol EastWalter Baker16,92058.21
BuryHarry Wallace10,28636.12
Camberwell NorthCharles Ammon11,30054.91
CarlisleGeorge Middleton10,67645.52
NewportJohn William Bowen18,26347.22
Stockton-on-TeesFrederick Fox Riley11,94833.12
1929 general electionBristol EastWalter Baker24,19765.81
Camberwell NorthCharles Ammon13,05157.91
CarlisleGeorge Middleton12,77940.41
CreweJohn William Bowen20,94850.21
Stockton-on-TeesFrederick Fox Riley18,96141.21
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace11,03939.61
1931 general electionCamberwell NorthCharles Ammon9,86948.12
CarlisleGeorge Middleton13,44542.72
CreweJohn William Bowen18,35142.22
Stockton-on-TeesFrederick Fox Riley18,16838.42
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace9,98331.22
1935 general electionCamberwell NorthCharles Ammon11,70164.71
CreweJohn William Bowen20,62048.72
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace14,37846.02
1945 general electionClitheroeHarry Randall19,44353.71
Heston and IsleworthWilliam Williams29,19254.31
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace15,65051.11
1950 general electionClitheroeHarry Randall18,35943.82
Heston and IsleworthWilliam Williams29,01343.62
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace18,47847.01
1951 general electionDroylsdenWilliam Williams26,82951.81
DumfriesshireGeorge Douglas16,66938.72
MitchamHarry Randall28,18745.32
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace19,03647.51
1955 general electionManchester OpenshawWilliam Williams24,63859.71
Walthamstow EastHarry Wallace15,74443.12
1955 by-electionGateshead WestHarry Randall13,19666.51
1959 general electionManchester OpenshawWilliam Williams24,97560.21
Gateshead WestHarry Randall21,27764.91
1963 by-electionManchester OpenshawCharles Morris16,10165.91
1964 general electionBristol North EastRaymond Dobson21,21244.22
Gateshead WestHarry Randall21,39069.01
Manchester OpenshawCharles Morris22,58959.61
1966 general electionBrighton KemptownDennis Hobden24,93650.81
Bristol North EastRaymond Dobson25,69954.21
Gateshead WestHarry Randall20,38174.81
Manchester OpenshawCharles Morris22,10364.91
1970 general electionBrighton KemptownDennis Hobden21,10542.92
Bristol North EastRaymond Dobson22,79249.52
Manchester OpenshawCharles Morris19,39760.21
1971 by-electionStirling and FalkirkHarry Ewing17,53646.51
Feb 1974 general electionBrighton KemptownDennis Hobden19,48438.12
HampsteadTony Clarke17,27938.32
Manchester OpenshawCharles Morris16,47853.51
Stirling, Falkirk and GrangemouthHarry Ewing21,68541.91
Western IslesAndrew Wilson2,87919.22
Oct 1974 general electionBrighton KemptownDennis Hobden19,06040.32
HampsteadTony Clarke16,41440.62
Manchester OpenshawCharles Morris16,10957.61
Stirling, Falkirk and GrangemouthHarry Ewing22,09043.31
1979 general electionManchester OpenshawCharles Morris17,09962.11
Stirling, Falkirk and GrangemouthHarry Ewing29,49956.51
1983 general electionFalkirk EastHarry Ewing17,95647.71
1987 general electionFalkirk EastHarry Ewing21,37954.21
1992 general electionFalkirk EastMichael Connarty18,42346.11

Leadership

General Secretaries

1919: William Bowen[7]
1936: T. J. Hodgson[7]
1944: Charles Geddes[7]
1956: Ron Smith[7]
1967: Thomas Jackson[7]
1982: Alan Tuffin[7]
1992: Alan Johnson[7]

Deputy General Secretaries

1919: Walter Baker[7]
1931: James Paterson[7]
1941: Charles Geddes[7]
1944: G. A. Stevens[7]
1951: Richard Hayward[7]
1956: L. V. Andrews[7]
1967: Norman Stagg[7]
1980: Alan Tuffin[7]
1982: Tony Clarke[7]
1993: Derek Hodgson[7]

Treasurers

1919: Will Lockyer[7]
1935: W. T. Leicester[7]
1947: A. H. Wood[7]
1953: Ron Smith[7]
1956: E. R. Mercer[7]
1962: Fred Moss[7]
1981: Fred Binks[7]
1988: Derek Walsh[7]

See also

References

  1. David Farnham, Employee Relations in Context, p. 268.
  2. Marsh, Arthur (1984). Trade Union Handbook (3 ed.). Aldershot: Gower. pp. 167–168. ISBN 0566024268.
  3. Arthur Ivor Marsh, Trade Union Handbook, p. 401.
  4. David Butler; Gareth Butler (1986). British political facts, 1900-1985. Macmillan. p. 366. ISBN 978-0-333-39948-4.
  5. Clinton, Alan (1984). Post Office Workers: A Trade Union and Social History. London: George Allen and Unwin. pp. 672–676. ISBN 9780043310861.
  6. Parker, James (2017). Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940 (PDF). Exeter: University of Exeter.
  7. Clinton, Alan (1984). Post Office Workers. George Allen and Unwin. p. 664. ISBN 0043310869.


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