The National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA) was a British

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 ( ...

History

Formed as part of the New Unionism movement in September 1889, the union was originally named the Printers' Labourers' Union and was led by George Evans. In 1899, it was renamed the Operative Printers' Assistants Union, and in 1904 it became the National Society of Operative Printers' Assistants, taking the acronym NATSOPA for the first time. In 1911, it assumed its long-term name, the "National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants". By this point, it had 4,722 members, and it grew rapidly, having 25,000 members in 92 branches by 1929. In 1966, the union merged with the

National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers The National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers (NUPBPW) was a British trade union. History The union was founded in 1921 as the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding, Machine Ruling and Paper Workers when the National Union o ...

, becoming Division 1 of the

Society of Graphical and Allied Trades The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was a British trade union in the printing industry. History SOGAT was formed in 1966 by the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers and the National Society of Operative Pr ...

(SOGAT), but in 1970 the failure to agree a common rulebook led to Division 1 leaving to become the National Society of Operative Printers and Media Personnel. In 1972, it merged with the

Sign and Display Trade Union The Sign and Display Trades Union (SDTU) was a British trade union that existed between 1917 and 1972. Formed in 1917 as the National Union of Sign, Glass and Ticket Writers and Kindred Trades it represented workers engaged as a sign, glass, p ...

, and in 1982 it again merged with SOGAT, on this occasion the merger proving successful.

Election results

The union sponsored

George Isaacs George Alfred Isaacs JP DL (28 May 1883 – 26 April 1979) was a British politician and trades unionist who served in the government of Clement Attlee. Isaacs was born in Finsbury to a Methodist family. He married Flora Beasley (1884–1962 ...

as a Labour Party candidate in each general election and two by-elections between 1918 and 1955.

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1889: George Evans :1890: Thomas O'Grady :1897: Michael Vaughan :1898: Eddie Smith :1909:

:1948: Harry Good :1951:

Richard Briginshaw Richard William Briginshaw, Baron Briginshaw (15 May 1908 – 26 March 1992) was a British trade union leader and politician. Born in Brixton, South London to a working-class family, Briginshaw left school at the age of fourteen to become ...

:1975:

Owen O'Brien Owen O'Brien (22 June 1920 – 2 November 1987) was a British trade union leader. Born in Stepney, in the East End of London, O'Brien started work in the printing industry when he was fourteen years old. He completed an apprenticeship, durin ...

Presidents

:1889: James Keep :1891: Frederick Quinn :1893: James Keep :1898: Eddie Smith :1899: Harry Cook :1901: J. B. Sullivan :1904: George Cullen :1905: J. B. Sullivan :1907: James Keep :1910: A. Bispham :1917: J. C. Mead :1920: George T. Bevan :1929: William Plunkett

Footnotes

References

*Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'' *James Moran, ''Natsopa: Seventy-five Years''

External links

Catalogue of the Natsopa archives
held at the

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the specialist archive service of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, located adjacent to the Central Campus Library. It was established in October 1973 and holds the world's largest archive collecti ...

1889 establishments in the United Kingdom 1975 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Printing trade unions Trade unions established in 1889 Trade unions disestablished in 1982 Trade unions based in London {{UK-trade-union-stub