The Postmen's Federation was a
trade union representing postal workers in the
United Kingdom.
In 1889, a "Postmen's Union" was founded in
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England.
Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington.
The well after which it was named was redisco ...
by Tom Dredge and
John Lincoln Mahon. This dissolved after many of its members were sacked, but two years later, C. Churchfield established the "Postmen's Federation" as a more cautious organisation. It immediately recruited 3,721 members, and survived, offering welfare benefits to members from 1895 and publishing ''The Postmen's Gazette''.
[Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.1, pp.175-176]
By 1901, the union was becoming more confident, and felt able to affiliate to the
Trades Union Congress and the
Labour Representation Committee. Membership was over 31,000 by 1906.
In 1912,
George Harold Stuart was elected as general secretary; Duncan Campbell-Smith describes him as the "single most impressive officer among all the postal union staffs". Under his leadership, the union began admitting women. It negotiated a merger with the
Fawcett Association and the
Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association in 1919, forming the
Union of Post Office Workers.
[Duncan Campbell-Smith, ''Masters of the Post: The Authorized History of the Royal Mail'']
General Secretaries
:1891: Charles Churchfield
:1901: Alexander MacLaren
:1910: T. Robinson
:1912:
George Harold Stuart
References
External links
Catalogue of the Postmen's Federation 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 ...
Trade unions established in 1891
Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom
Postal trade unions
1891 establishments in the United Kingdom
Trade unions disestablished in 1919