Engineering and Fastener Trade Union
Encyclopedia
The Engineering and Fastener Trade Union was a trade union
in the West Midlands
of England
.
The union was founded in 1914 as the Screw Nut Bolt and Rivet Trade Union. It represented workers who used machinery to make screw
s, nuts
, bolts and rivet
s. As the hand-made section of the industry declined, it gained members from the National Amalgamated Society of Nut and Bolt Makers. Its membership remained just below 2,000 from the mid-1920s to 1956, when it affiliated to the Trades Union Congress
. By 1977, membership was estimated at 4,000. In 1989, the union changed its name to the "Engineering and Fastener Trade Union". By the mid-1990s, membership was down to 240, all of whom worked at GKN
. The union was dissolved in 2004.
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...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The union was founded in 1914 as the Screw Nut Bolt and Rivet Trade Union. It represented workers who used machinery to make screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
s, nuts
Nut (hardware)
A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating bolt to fasten a stack of parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads' friction, a slight stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts...
, bolts and rivet
Rivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
s. As the hand-made section of the industry declined, it gained members from the National Amalgamated Society of Nut and Bolt Makers. Its membership remained just below 2,000 from the mid-1920s to 1956, when it affiliated to 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...
. By 1977, membership was estimated at 4,000. In 1989, the union changed its name to the "Engineering and Fastener Trade Union". By the mid-1990s, membership was down to 240, all of whom worked at GKN
GKN
GKN plc is a multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759 and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.GKN is listed on the London Stock...
. The union was dissolved in 2004.