{{short description, UK trade union The Electrical and Plumbing Industries Union (EPIU) 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 engineers, plumbers and related workers 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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The union was founded in 1988 as a split from the

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 and plumbers, which went through three mergers from 1992 to now be part of Unite the Un ...

(EETPU). That year, the EETPU was expelled from the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions. There are 48 affiliated unions, with a total of about 5.5 million members. Frances ...

(TUC) for making agreements with companies that it would be the only trade union they recognised, against the opposition of other TUC members. Around 5,000 members of the EETPU were determined to remain within the mainstream trade union movement and left to form the EPIU,John B. Smethurst and Peter Carter, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.6, p.207 under the leadership of John Aitkin.

, ''TUC Directory 1995''. p.14 The EPIU initially had no structure and was unable to represent its members, or even accept their membership payments. As a result, five other unions represented its membership, on a temporary basis. Only in 1991 was the union put on a sound basis, recognised by the

Trade Union Certification Officer The Trades Union Certification Officer was established in the United Kingdom by Act of Parliament in 1975. They head the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers' Associations. Responsibilities The Certification Officer is responsible f ...

and accepted into the TUC. It established an office at Park House on

Wandsworth Common Wandsworth Common is a public common in Wandsworth, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south London. It is and is maintained and regulated by Wandsworth Council. It is also a Ward of the London Borough of Wandsworth. The population of the ward ...

. In both 1991 and 1993, the EPIU attempted to join the National Engineering Construction Committee. It was supported by the GMB,

Manufacturing, Science and Finance Manufacturing, Science and Finance (or the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union; almost exclusively known as MSF) was a trade union in Britain. Over eighty members of Parliament (primarily members of the Labour Party) were members. Histor ...

and

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 ...

(TGWU), but opposed by the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union, into which the EETPU had merged, and also by employers' organisations.EPIU's forum bid fails
, ''Construction News'', 10 June 1993 In 1995, the EPIU merged into the

References

Trade unions established in 1988 Trade unions disestablished in 1995 1988 establishments in the United Kingdom 1995 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union Trade unions based in London