The National Association of Co-operative Officials (NACO) 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 ...

for staff in the

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

sector 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 ...

, principally the

Co-operative Group Co-operative Group Limited, trading as Co-op, is a British consumer co-operative with a group of retail businesses including food retail, wholesale, e-pharmacy, insurance and legal services, and funeral care. The Co-operative Group has over ...

and other retail societies,

Co-operatives UK Co-operatives UK is a British co-operative federation described as "the central membership organisation for co-operative enterprise throughout the UK". It was founded in 1870 as the Co-operative Central Board, changing its name to the Co-oper ...

and the

Co-operative Party The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, supporting co-operative values and principles. Established in 1917, the Co-operative Party was founded by co-operative societies to campaign politically for the fair ...

History

The union was founded in 1917, as the National Union of Co-operative Officials. In 1970, it merged with the National Co-operative Managers Association, and with the Co-operative Secretaries Association, adopting its current name. NACO historically represented professionals and management in the sector, with general unions, principally the

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) is a trade union in the United Kingdom, consisting of around 360,000 members. Usdaw members work in a variety of occupations and industries including: shopworkers, factory and warehouse wo ...

(USDAW), recruiting among shop-floor and administrative workers. In the 2010s, NACO began, with the support of Co-operatives UK, to widen its base and end the division between 'officials' and 'administrators'. By 2017, it represented managers at the

Central England Co-operative Central England Co-operative, trading as Central Co-op, is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom, based in Lichfield and which trades from over 400 sites across the English Midlands and East Anglia. The business is owned and d ...

Channel Islands Co-operative The Channel Islands' Co-operative Society is a long-established consumer co-operative with stores in the Channel Islands. Its head office is located in Saint Helier in Jersey. In the year ending 13 January 2019, Channel Islands Co-op recorded sal ...

Chelmsford Star Co-operative The Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society is an independent consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. Registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, the Society is a member of Co-operatives UK, the Co-operative G ...

East of England Co-operative The East of England Co-operative Society is the fourth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom after The Co-operative Group, The Midcounties Co-operative and Central England Co-operative. It is a registered society with its headqua ...

Heart of England Co-operative The Heart of England Co-operative Society is an independent consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. Based in Coventry, the Society trades in the English counties of West Midlands, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Regist ...

Lincolnshire Co-operative Lincolnshire Co-op is an independent consumer co-operative which operates in Lincolnshire, and the surrounding counties. The society has over 220 outlets with its principal trading activity being its food stores, funeral homes, florist and cremato ...

Midcounties Co-operative The Midcounties Co-operative, branded as Your Co-op, is a consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom with over 700,000 members. Registered in England under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, it is a member of Co-operat ...

Scotmid The Scottish Midland Co-operative Society (trading as Scotmid), is an independent retail consumers' co-operative based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally founded as St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society in 1859, it merged with Dalziel Co-operat ...

and

Southern Co-operative Southern Co-op (originally Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society Ltd, now officially The Southern Co-operative Limited) is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. The principal activities of the Society are food retailing an ...

. By 2017, membership of the union had fallen, leaving it concerned about its ability to continue as an independent organisation. As a result, it entered into discussions with USDAW about merging into that union's Supervisory, Administrative and Technical Association. In February 2018, 82% of NACO members voted for the merger, which was completed in May.

General Secretaries

:1917: E. Emery :1920s: Robert Simpson :1942: Robert Calderwood :1952: Arthur Potts :1977: Lindsay Ewing :2006: Neil Buist :2015: Bob Lister (interim)

References

External links

Official website

The National Co-operative Archive holds records relating to the National Association of Co-operative Officials.
1917 establishments in the United Kingdom Co-operatives in the United Kingdom Organisations based in Tameside Trade unions established in 1917 Trade unions in the United Kingdom Trade unions disestablished in 2018 Trade unions based in Greater Manchester {{UK-trade-union-stub