John Allen (14 September 1804 – September/October 1888) 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 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 ( ...

leader. Born at Lower Glanmere, in

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

in Ireland, Allen moved to

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

with his parents at an early age. He later emigrated to the United States, where he trained as a boilermaker, but after some years, he returned to Bristol, finding work with the Steam Navigation Company. In 1836, he joined the Friendly Society of Boilermakers, who had just established a branch in the city. He remained active in the union, and by 1848 was acting as a delegate to its annual meeting, which lasted a full twelve days. The union became part of the

United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders The Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (ASB) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. Many of its members worked in shipbuilding, in which industry it was the leading trade union, while over tim ...

(USB), and Allen served as the secretary of its Bristol branch in his spare time. George Brogden, the general secretary of the USB, died suddenly in March 1857, and Allen was elected to replace him. At the time, the union was struggling, with many members unemployed and funds running low. Early in 1858, on his recommendation, unemployment benefits to members were reduced, and by the Autumn, they were entirely stopped. While many members were unhappy with this, its did enable the union to survive, and by the end of the year, it had 3,453 members and reserves of £1,778. Trade improved from 1859 onwards, and the union's position improved, allowing unemployment benefits to be reinstated in 1862. In light of this improved position, Allen asked the union to increase his wages, to match what Brogden had been paid. The union's members voted against this proposal, leading Allen to resign, but he was persuaded to stand in the resulting election, on a platform of being paid at the rate he had previously requested. He easily won the election and returned to office. During the remainder of the 1860s, the union continued to thrive, affiliating to the

United Kingdom Alliance of Organised Trades The UK Association of Organised Trades was founded in Sheffield in July 1866. It was an important predecessor organization to the Trades Union Congress. The organisation was largely inspired by William Dronfield, who was elected as its secretar ...

, and then the new

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 ...

. However, he faced increasing criticism for his poor grasp of administrative procedures and for lacking a plan for the union's future. As a result, in March 1871 he agreed to retire on a pension of £1 per week.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, John 1804 births 1888 deaths General Secretaries of the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers Irish emigrants to the United States People from County Cork