The National Graphical Association (NGA) was a trade union representing

typographer Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), an ...

s and related workers in the United Kingdom.

History

The union was formed in 1964 by the merger of two long-term rival unions, the Typographical Association and the London Typographical Society. It was joined by a large number of small craft print unions including the National Society of Electrotypers and Stereotypers, National Union of Press Telegraphists,

Association of Correctors of the Press The Association of Correctors of the Press (ACP) was a longstanding trade union representing proofreaders in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1854 as the London Association of Correctors of the Press. At first a very small organiza ...

, Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers.

Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers The Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers (SLADE) was a British trade union representing workers in the printing industry. History The union was formed in Manchester in 1885 as the National Society of Lithographic Artists, ...

(SLADE) and National Union of Wallcoverings and Allied Trades. By 1982 it had a membership of 136,300.Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions''. In 1978 the General Secretary Joe Wade asserted in a letter to the ''Sunday Times'' that "recruitment through

secondary boycott Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding ...

has been a legitimate trade union tactic for many years."Quoted in 'Report of an Inquiry into Certain Trade Union Recruitment Activities', Cmnd. 7706 (1979) (Leggatt Report), page 16. The NGA merged with 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 ...

in 1991 to form the Graphical, Paper and Media Union.

Election results

The union sponsored several Parliamentary candidates, many of whom won election.

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1964: Robert Willis and

John Bonfield John Martin Bonfield (1 May 1915 – 9 January 1976) was a British trade unionist. Bonfield grew up in Hitchin in Hertfordshire before becoming a printer. He joined the Typographical Association, becoming its National Assistant Secretary ...

:1969:

:1976: Joe Wade :1982:

John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...

and Joe Wade :1984: Tony Dubbins

General Presidents

:1964: Fred Simmons :1974: Les Dixon :1982: Bryn Griffiths

References

External links

Catalogue of the NGA 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 ...

{{Portal, Organized labour Trade unions established in 1964 Trade unions disestablished in 1991 Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom 1964 establishments in the United Kingdom Printing trade unions Trade unions based in Bedfordshire