The Coopers' Federation of Great Britain was a trade union representing

cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ...

s in the United Kingdom and, initially, also in Ireland. The union was founded in 1926 as the Coopers' Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. It brought together five unions which retained a high level of independence: {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Union !! Founded !! Affiliated !! Merged , - , Amalgamated Society of Coopers , , 1878 , , 1926 , , 1970 , - , Liverpool Coopers' Friendly, Trade and Burial Society , , 1843 , , 1926 , , 1965 , - , Manchester, Salford and District Society of Brewers' and General Coopers , , 1845 , , 1926 , , ''N/A'' , - ,

National Association of Coopers The National Association of Coopers was a trade union representing coopers in the United Kingdom, principally in London. The union was founded in 1821 as the London Philanthropic Society of Coopers, to represent coopers working at breweries. It s ...

, , 1821 , , 1926 , , 1947 , - , National Trade Union of Coopers , , 1947 , , 1947 , , 1970 , - , Philanthropic Society of Journeymen Coopers of Burton-on-Trent and Vicinity , , 1853 , , 1926 , , c.1969 With the long-term decline of the industry, its affiliates gradually merged. In 1970, the Amalgamated and the National merged and became an integral part of the union, leaving only the Manchester Coopers as an affiliate.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.3, pp.389-401 Membership of the union was more than 10,000 in the 1950s, but declined to only 1,000 in 1979. In 1978, the union renamed itself as the Coopers' and Allied Workers' Federation of Great Britain in an attempt to reposition itself, but it decided instead to merge into the

National Union of General and Municipal Workers The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (N ...

in 1979.

General Secretaries

:1926: George William Harrison :1927: R. W. Mann :1942: J. S. Wilkie :1948: Ted Pettengell :1970s: W. Marshall

References

1926 establishments in the United Kingdom 1979 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Coopers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1926 Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom GMB (trade union) amalgamations Trade unions based in London