The Amalgamated Society of Gas Workers, Brickmakers and General Labourers (ASGWBM&GL) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing labourers in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, particularly in the

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

area. The union was established in 1889, on the initiative of Eli Bloor and Allen Granger, leaders of established trade unions in Birmingham. It had 2,846 by 1892, and began absorbing smaller unions: the Bristol Iron Plate Trade Society in 1896, and the Birmingham Public Workers Labourers in 1897. By that year, membership had grown to 5,020.{{cite book, last1=Marsh, first1=Arthur Ivor, last2=Smethurst, first2=John B., title=Historical Directory of Trade Unions, volume=5, date=2006, publisher=Ashgate, location=Aldershot, isbn=085967990X, page
375, 443-444
url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars/page/375 The Scottish Ploughmen, Carters and General Labourers Federal Union joined the society in 1900, but amid confusion it soon left again. The Frost Cog and Screw Makers Society merged in during 1911. Membership continued to grow, and when the Birmingham and District Municipal Employees' Association joined in 1915, it reached 17,240. That year, the union renamed itself as the "Amalgamated Society of Gas, Municipal and General Workers". In 1921, the union merged into the

National Union of General Workers The National Union of General Workers is the name of: * National Union of General Workers (Sohyo), a former trade union in Japan * National Union of General Workers (Zenrokyo) The National Union of General Workers (NUGW) is the shortened, Engl ...

General Secretaries

:1889: Robert Toller :1907: Henry Simpson

References

Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom 1889 establishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1889 Trade unions based in the West Midlands (county)