Robert Austin (1826 – September 1891) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

trade unionist 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 Employee ben ...

. Born in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...

, Austin joined the Journeymen Steam Engine and Machine Makers' Friendly Society in 1847. He soon moved to

Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...

and helped bring about the merger which formed the

Amalgamated Society of Engineers The Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) was a major British trade union, representing factory workers and mechanics. History The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and M ...

(ASE) in 1851.

, ''Amalgamated Society of Engineers: Jubilee Souvenir 1901'', p.78 In 1863, he was appointed as the Manchester Vacant Bookkeeper for the society, and became known for his honesty and devotion to duty in the post. By 1882, Austin was the chairman of the

Manchester and Salford Trades Council The Manchester Trades Union Council brings together trade union branches in Manchester in England. History Efforts to bring trade unionists together across Manchester go back to the eighteenth century. In 1818 the cotton spinners persuaded othe ...

and, in the post, was centrally involved in organising that year's

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national tra ...

(TUC). He was chosen unanimously as President of the TUC that year. In 1886, Austin was elected as general secretary of the ASE, defeating John Anderson by 9,956 votes to 9,100. He took up office the following year, and served in the post until his death in 1891.V. L. Allen, ''Power in Trade Unions: A Study of Their Organization in Great Britain'', p.281

References

1826 births 1891 deaths Trade unionists from the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan General Secretaries of the Amalgamated Engineering Union People from Wigan Presidents of the Trades Union Congress 19th-century British businesspeople {{UK-trade-unionist-bio-stub