The National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers 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 ( ...

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 ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

History

The union was founded in July 1920 as the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers with the merger of a number of unions, including the

General Union of Tinplate Workers {{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom The General Union of Tinplate Workers was a trade union representing sheet metal workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1862 in Manchester, bringing together nine local ...

and the

National Amalgamated Association of Tin Plate Workers of Great Britain The National Amalgamated Association of Tin Plate Workers of Great Britain was a trade union representing sheet metal workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1876 in Wolverhampton, when the Wolverhampton Tin Plate Workers' Society m ...

, and fifteen local unions. It merged with the competing

National Society of Coppersmiths, Braziers and Metal Workers {{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom The National Society of Coppersmiths, Braziers and Metal Workers was a trade union representing foundry workers in the United Kingdom. The union was established in 1846 as the London an ...

in 1959, renaming itself the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Coppersmiths. Following its 1967 merger with the

Heating and Domestic Engineers' Union The Heating and Domestic Engineers' Union (H&DEU) was a trade union representing a wide range of workers, particularly those involved with domestic pipework, in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1872 as the Amalgamated Stove, Grate a ...

, it took its final, lengthy name.Papers of National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers 1921-1987

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded i ...

The last independent union for sheet metal workers, the

Birmingham and Midland Sheet Metal Workers' Society The Birmingham and Midland Sheet Metal Workers' Society (BMSMWS) was a trade union representing sheet metal workers in the English Midlands. The union's origins lay in the Birmingham Tin Plate Workers' Society, which was formed in 1859. In 1876 ...

, finally merged into the union in 1973. The union approved an offer to join the

Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992. History The history of t ...

' Engineering Section in 1979, but this did not go ahead and instead, in 1983, it merged into the

Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section The Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section (TASS) was a British trade union. History The union was founded in 1913 by 200 draughtsmen, as the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen (AESD). It expanded rapidly, and ...

Election results

The union sponsored a Labour Party candidate in the 1979 general election:Labour Party, ''Report of the Seventy-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party'', pp.406-431

General Secretaries

:1920: Charles Gordon :1922: Charles Hickin :1941:

Archibald Kidd Archibald Thomas Kidd (15 April 1873''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975'' – 15 June 1972) was a long-standing British trade union leader. Born in Liverpool, Kidd was educated at Brunswick Wesleyan School. He completed an a ...

:1943:

Harry Brotherton Henry George John Brotherton (3 December 1890 – December 1980) was a British trade union leader. Born in Camberwell, London, Brotherton completed an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker. He joined the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers ...

:1960: Ted Roberts :1962: Les Buck :1977: George Guy

References

{{Reflist

External links

Catalogue of the NUSMWCHDE 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 ...

Catalogue of the NUSMWCHDE London District archives
held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Catalogue of the NUSMWB archives
held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Sheet metal workers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1920 Trade unions disestablished in 1983 Defunct trade unions of Ireland 1920 establishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions based in London