The Chemical Workers' Union 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 ( ...

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 ...

History

The union was established in 1912 by a small group of pharmacists, as the Retail Chemists' Association. Most of its members were also members of the Pharmaceutical Society, and it focused on improving standards in the trade and limiting the number of apprentices. By 1918, it had only 447 members, and so it decided to become an

industrial union Industrial unionism is a trade union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in ...

, accepting all workers involved in producing and distributing drugs and chemicals. It changed its named to the Amalgamated Society of Pharmacists, Drug and Chemical Workers, and for the first time registered as a trade union. In December 1918, the London wholesale drug workers' branch of the

National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks The National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks (NAUSAWC, often known as the Shop Assistants' Union) was a trade union representing retail workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1891 with the merger of t ...

, decided to dissolve and encourage its members to join the Chemical Workers. As it had 3,000 members, they quickly became prominent the Chemical Workers, with Fred Hawkins becoming its full-time organiser. In 1920, the small National Association of Chemists' Assistants also joined the union, which became the National Union of Drug and Chemical Workers. It employed Herbert Nightingale as its first full-time general secretary, and launched a journal, the ''Drug Union News''. However, it fell into financial difficulties, laying off Hawkins, and by the end of 1922, membership had fallen to only 2,500. Militant trade unionists won control of the executive. In 1923, the union affiliated to the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national tra ...

(TUC), but the Shop Assistants Union claimed it was a breakaway union and should return various "poached" members. The Chemical Workers were unwilling to do this, and so in 1924 again left the TUC. Nightingale resigned as general secretary, concerned he would lose an election, and former secretary of the London wholesale drug workers, Arthur Gillian, was elected as his replacement. Under Gillian's leadership, the union grew a little, membership reaching 3,376 by 1926. The union strongly supported the

UK general strike The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British governme ...

, and became strongly influenced by the

Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse working-class candidates ...

, of which Gillian was a member, and the

National Minority Movement The National Minority Movement was a British organisation, established in 1924 by the Communist Party of Great Britain, which attempted to organise a radical presence within the existing trade unions. The organization was headed by longtime unio ...

, with Dick Beech and the employees of the Russian Oil Products Company playing a leading role. In 1936, the union decided to try to become the sole union for chemical workers. It changed its name to the "Chemical Workers' Union", and again applied to affiliate to the TUC, but was rejected. It then reapplied each year, winning the support of the large majority of TUC affiliates, but due to the opposition of the large general unions, it was unable to secure admission until 1943. In 1938,

Bob Edwards Robert Alan "Bob" Edwards is an American broadcast journalist, a Peabody Award-winning member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. He hosted both of National Public Radio's flagship news programs, the afternoon ''All Things Considered'', and '' ...

joined the union, soon becoming an organiser. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he led significant industrial action during

, while many other unions refused to do so. Membership grew, and by 1943 reached 22,000, with the union particularly strong at ICI. In 1961, the union absorbed the National Union of Atomic Workers, which had formed in the 1950s as a breakaway from the

Transport and General Workers Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland – where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) to differentiate its ...

. The union merged into the

Transport and General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland – where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) to differentiate its ...

in 1971.

General Secretaries

:1912: E. N. Lloyd :1920: Herbert Nightingale :1924: Arthur J. Gillan :1947: Robert Edwards

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chemical Workers' Union (Uk) Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Chemical industry in the United Kingdom Chemical industry trade unions Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations Trade unions established in 1912 Trade unions disestablished in 1971 Trade unions based in London