The National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staffs (NUDWSS) was a

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 administrative staff working in shipping and related industries 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 in 1909 as the Port of London Staff Association, as a replacement for the recently dissolved London and India Docks Staff Association. Until 1917, it worked closely with the

Port of London Authority The Port of London Authority (PLA) is a self-funding public trust established on 31 March 1909 in accordance with the Port of London Act 1908 to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and its ...

, and appointed one of the authority's members as its honorary president.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.1, p.161 In 1917, the organisation decided to register as an independent trade union for the first time, and renamed itself as the Port of London Docks and Wharves Staff Association. Charles Ammon became its secretary in 1918, and Arthur Creech Jones was appointed as its organiser. They launched it on a national basis, renaming it as the "National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staff", and publishing the ''Quayside and Office'' journal. Membership grew to 4,381 by 1922, when it became a founding constituent of the

Transport and General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general union, general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland—where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU)—with 900 ...

General Secretaries

:1918: Charles Ammon :1919:

Alfred Short Alfred Short (1882 – 24 August 1938, London) was a British trades unionist and Labour Party (UK), Labour politician, Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Wednesbury (UK Parliament constituency), Wednesbury from ...

References

{{Transport and General Workers' Union Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom 1909 establishments in the United Kingdom Port workers' trade unions Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations Trade unions established in 1909 Trade unions disestablished in 1922 Trade unions based in London