{{Short description, UK trade union
The Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society, also known as the Old Mechanics, was an early
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
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
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 ...
.
The union was founded on 26 July 1826 in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, when it was known as the Friendly Union of Mechanics. In its early years, it held an annual delegate meeting, which elected a different branch to run the union until the next meeting. It soon changed its name to the Journeymen Steam Engine and Machine Makers' Friendly Society, and focused on campaigning for shorter working hours and better pay for overtime. It also attempted to regulate the trade, by campaigning against the employment of workers who had not completed
apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...
s, and to limit the number of apprentices in the industry.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.2, pp.60-61
The union led an eight-month strike in 1836, which won a major victory in limiting the standard working day to ten hours. This boosted the profile of the union, which had 3,000 members by 1839, when it appointed a secretary for the first time. Initially part-time, the post became full-time in 1845, an unusual step for the period. The London Millwrights Societies merged with the Old Mechanics in 1841, which accordingly added "millwrights" to its name.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.2, p.44
In 1846, the union's branches in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
,
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
and
Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England. The population at the 2011 census was 22,114. Newton-le-Willows is on the eastern edge of St Helens, south of Wigan and north of Warrington.
The ...
began industrial action against piecework and systematic overtime. Several employers took the union's officers to court, and they along with twenty of its members were convicted of
conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...
and illegal combination, and imprisoned. Following national protests, they were released in 1847. This inspired William Allan and William Newton to invite numerous other unions to merge to form one large amalgamated body. This occurred in 1851, when the Old Mechanics dissolved into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.
General Secretaries
:1826: John White
:
:1839: Robert Robinson
:Henry Selsby
:1848: William Allan
:1851: Henry Selsby