Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions
Encyclopedia
The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) is a trade union
confederation in the United Kingdom
.
of the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders, primarily in response to the formation of a National Federation of Shipbuilders and Engineers by employers. By 1895, sixteen unions were affiliated, with a total membership of 150,000. However, the prominent Amalgamated Society of Engineers
(ASE) refused to join. The ASE finally joined in 1905 but, failing to persuade the other members to unite with it in a single industrial union, withdrew again in 1914. Meanwhile, unions representing unskilled workers were initially excluded; the National Amalgamated Union of Labour
was finally admitted in 1908, and the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers in 1910, and only after they had given assurances that they would permit the craft unions to retain a leading role in the organisation. Because it would not sign a similar agreement, the Workers' Union
was never admitted. In its early years, the Federation focussed on resolving demarcation disputes, but it soon concentrated on making national agreements for the engineering and shipbuilding industries, allowing the largest union in each trade to take the lead in negotiations.
The confederation adopted its current form and name in 1936. From 1941, the CSEU co-operated with the Foundry Workers' Union and the Amalgamated Engineering Union in the National Engineering Joint Trades Movement, convincing these two unions to affiliate in 1944 and 1946 respectively. The confederation then represented the vast majority of unionised worked in the relevant industries.
By 1977, the CSEU had 23 affiliates and 2.4 million members, with most workers organised in the relevant sections of the Transport and General Workers Union, General and Municipal Workers Union and Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
. In 1989, membership was still 22 affiliates and 2 million members but, by 2001, this had fallen to 1.2 million members, and a process of union mergers has greatly reduced the number of affiliated unions and the prominence of the organisation. All current affiliates are also members of the Trades Union Congress
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
confederation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The confederation was founded in December 1890 as the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades by small craft unions, on the initiative of Robert KnightRobert Knight (trade unionist)
Robert Knight was a British trade unionist.Born in Lifton, Devon, Knight followed his father in his trade as a blacksmith. From 1857, he worked at the Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth and became active in the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders, being elected as its...
of the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders, primarily in response to the formation of a National Federation of Shipbuilders and Engineers by employers. By 1895, sixteen unions were affiliated, with a total membership of 150,000. However, the prominent Amalgamated Society of Engineers
Amalgamated Society of Engineers
Amalgamated Society of Engineers may refer to one of the following trade unions:* Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in the United Kingdom, known as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers from 1851 until 1920...
(ASE) refused to join. The ASE finally joined in 1905 but, failing to persuade the other members to unite with it in a single industrial union, withdrew again in 1914. Meanwhile, unions representing unskilled workers were initially excluded; the National Amalgamated Union of Labour
National Amalgamated Union of Labour
The National Amalgamated Union of Labour was a general union in the United Kingdom.The trade union was founded in 1888 as the Tyneside and District Labourers Union, and it participated in the National Labour Federation...
was finally admitted in 1908, and the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers in 1910, and only after they had given assurances that they would permit the craft unions to retain a leading role in the organisation. Because it would not sign a similar agreement, the Workers' Union
Workers' Union
The Workers' Union was a trade union in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1898, in 1919 the Workers' Union joined the National Amalgamated Workers Union, a loose confederation with the Municipal Employees Association and the National Amalgamated Union of Labour, but this dissolved in 1922.Membership of...
was never admitted. In its early years, the Federation focussed on resolving demarcation disputes, but it soon concentrated on making national agreements for the engineering and shipbuilding industries, allowing the largest union in each trade to take the lead in negotiations.
The confederation adopted its current form and name in 1936. From 1941, the CSEU co-operated with the Foundry Workers' Union and the Amalgamated Engineering Union in the National Engineering Joint Trades Movement, convincing these two unions to affiliate in 1944 and 1946 respectively. The confederation then represented the vast majority of unionised worked in the relevant industries.
By 1977, the CSEU had 23 affiliates and 2.4 million members, with most workers organised in the relevant sections of the Transport and General Workers Union, General and Municipal Workers Union and Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union
The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, known as the EETPU was a British trade union formed in 1968 as a union for electricians.-History:...
. In 1989, membership was still 22 affiliates and 2 million members but, by 2001, this had fallen to 1.2 million members, and a process of union mergers has greatly reduced the number of affiliated unions and the prominence of the organisation. All current affiliates are also members of the Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
.
Current members
- CommunityCommunity (trade union)Community is a UK trade union representing workers in the iron and steel, domestic appliance manufacturing, clothing, textiles, footwear and betting industries as well as workers in voluntary organisations, workshops for visually impaired and disabled people, community-care providers and housing...
- GMB
- ProspectProspect (trade union)Prospect is a United Kingdom trade union which represents engineers, managers, scientists and other specialists in both the public and private sectors. It was formed on 1 November 2001 by the merger of the trade unions the Institution of Professionals Managers and Specialists and the Engineers and...
- Transport Salaried Staffs Association
- Union of Construction, Allied Trades and TechniciansUnion of Construction, Allied Trades and TechniciansThe Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians is a British and Irish trade union which represents, as of December 2009, 127,433 workers in construction and allied trades, an increase of nearly 17,000 since 2003....
- Unite the UnionUnite the UnionUnite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
General Secretaries
- 1890: William Mosses
- 1917: Frank Smith
- 1937:
- 1942: Gavin Martin
- 1957: George Barratt
- 1970: Jack Service
- 1978: Alex Ferry
- 1994: Alan Robson
- 2004: John Wall
- 2008: Dave Gibbs
- 2009: Hugh Scullion