The Altogether Builders' Labourers and Constructional Workers' Society 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 labourers in the construction industry 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 originated around the turn of 1889 and 1890 as the National Association of Builders' Labourers, and by 1892 had a membership of more than 2,000 workers. However, it split into local unions in 1893, and ceased to operate nationally. In 1907, the Hull and District Builders' Labourers Union re-established the National Association, with twenty-five local unions joining, giving a membership of 2,866.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.3, p.123 The union affiliated to the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives, which organised a merger conference between it and its three main rivals: the

United Builders' Labourers Union {{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom The United Builders' Labourers Union was a trade union representing labourers in the construction industry in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in London in 1889, and began recr ...

, the

United Order of General Labourers of Great Britain and Ireland The United Order of General Labourers was a trade union representing labourers, mostly in the construction industry, in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1878 in London, initially as a very small organisation - by 1887, it had only 64 ...

, and the

Navvies', Bricklayers' Labourers' and General Labourers' Union The Public Works and Constructional Operatives' Union was a trade union representing labourers in the United Kingdom. History The union was founded in 1889 by Andrew Hall and Arthur Humphrey in West Ham, late in 1889, Navvies, Bricklayers' Lab ...

. This was not successful; the Navvies and the United Order had little interest in amalgamation, while the National and the United Builders could not agree on a way forward. In response, the National Association reformed as the "Altogether Builders' Labourers and Constructional Workers Society". It merged into the

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 ...

in 1934.

General Secretaries

:1907: Patrick Flanagan :1921: S. Taylor :1928: Tom Pugh

References

Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Builders' labourers' trade unions Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations Trade unions disestablished in 1934 Trade unions based in London {{UK-trade-union-stub