{{Short description, UK trade union
The Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society, also known as the Old Mechanics, was an early
trade union
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
representing
engineers
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...
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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
The union was founded on 26 July 1826 in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, when it was known as the Friendly Union of Mechanics. In its early years, it held an annual delegate meeting, which elected a different branch to run the union until the next meeting. It soon changed its name to the Journeymen Steam Engine and Machine Makers' Friendly Society, and focused on campaigning for shorter working hours and better pay for overtime. It also attempted to regulate the trade, by campaigning against the employment of workers who had not completed
apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...
s, and to limit the number of apprentices in the industry.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.2, pp.60-61
The union led an eight-month strike in 1836, which won a major victory in limiting the standard working day to ten hours. This boosted the profile of the union, which had 3,000 members by 1839, when it appointed a secretary for the first time. Initially part-time, the post became full-time in 1845, an unusual step for the period. The London Millwrights Societies merged with the Old Mechanics in 1841, which accordingly added "millwrights" to its name.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.2, p.44
In 1846, the union's branches in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
,
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
and
Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows, often shortened informally to Newton, is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England. The population at the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census was 24,642. Newton-le-Willows is on the ea ...
began industrial action against
piecework
Piece work or piecework is any type of employment in which a worker is paid a fixed piece rate for each unit produced or action performed, regardless of time.
Context
When paying a worker, employers can use various methods and combinations of m ...
and systematic overtime. Several employers took the union's officers to court, and they along with twenty of its members were convicted of
conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...
and illegal combination, and imprisoned. Following national protests, they were released in 1847. This inspired William Allan and William Newton to invite numerous other unions to merge to form one large amalgamated body. This occurred in 1851, when the Old Mechanics dissolved into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.
General Secretaries
:1826: John White
:
:1839: Robert Robinson
:Henry Selsby
:1848: William Allan
:1851: Henry Selsby