George Rix (1828 – 1918) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

trade union leader and politician. Born in East Dereham in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, Rix became a shopkeeper. He was a supporter of the

National Agricultural Labourers' Union The National Agricultural Labourers Union (NALU) was a trade union representing farm workers in Great Britain. Foundation The union's origins lay in a meeting at Wellesbourne in Warwickshire, held in February 1872. Joseph Arch, a well-known ...

(NALU), and was elected as its district secretary. However, in 1878, he began arguing that, due to falling membership, the union needed to cut costs. This led him to fall out with the union's president,

Joseph Arch Joseph Arch (10 November 1826 – 12 February 1919) was an English trade unionist and politician, born in Barford, Warwickshire, who played a key role in unionising agricultural workers and in championing their welfare. Following their enfranc ...

, and Rix soon left the union. Rix founded the rival Norfolk Federal Union, based in Dereham, becoming its general secretary. The union retained a significant membership while NALU was in rapid decline. In 1889 Rix was elected to

Norfolk County Council Norfolk County Council is the top-tier local government authority for Norfolk, England. Its headquarters are based in the city of Norwich. Below it there are 7 second-tier local government district councils: Breckland District, Broadland Distr ...

, and due to poor health, he reduced the amount of time he devoted to the union. Members complained that, by focusing on the council, he was too closely associated with landowners, and the union fell apart in the ensuing disputes, most districts becoming part of the Norfolk and Norwich Amalgamated Labourers' Union.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rix, George 1828 births 1918 deaths Members of Norfolk County Council Trade unionists from Norfolk General secretaries of British trade unions Liberal-Labour (UK) politicians People from Dereham