Former trade union of the United Kingdom
The Union of Communication Workers (UCW ) was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries.
The union was founded in 1919 as the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW ) by the merger of the Postmen's Federation , Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association and the Fawcett Association . It achieved official recognition, and as a result, in 1920 the London Postal Porters' Association , Central London Postmen's Association , Tracers' Association , Tube Staff Association , Messengers' Association and Sorters' Association all merged with it.[ 3] TUC membership from 1927 to 1946.[ 4]
It changed its name in 1980, and merged with the National Communications Union in 1995 to form the Communication Workers' Union .[ 3]
The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election. From 1927 until the end of World War II , the union was legally barred from affiliating to the party, so its candidates in that period are omitted from many sources.[ 5] [ 6]
Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position 1922 general election Bury Harry Wallace 9,643 36.7 2 Camberwell North Charles Ammon 8,320 50.8 1 Carlisle George Middleton 7,870 37.6 1 Harborough Walter Baker 6,205 28.2 3 Newport (Monmouthshire) John William Bowen 16,000 45.7 2 Stockton-on-Tees Frederick Fox Riley 11,183 34.3 2 1923 general election Bristol East Walter Baker 14,824 53.7 1 Bury Harry Wallace 9,568 36.1 2 Camberwell North Charles Ammon 10,620 64.2 1 Carlisle George Middleton 9,120 40.5 1 Newport John William Bowen 14,100 38.6 2 Stockton-on-Tees Frederick Fox Riley 10,619 31.2 3 1924 general election Bristol East Walter Baker 16,920 58.2 1 Bury Harry Wallace 10,286 36.1 2 Camberwell North Charles Ammon 11,300 54.9 1 Carlisle George Middleton 10,676 45.5 2 Newport John William Bowen 18,263 47.2 2 Stockton-on-Tees Frederick Fox Riley 11,948 33.1 2 1929 general election Bristol East Walter Baker 24,197 65.8 1 Camberwell North Charles Ammon 13,051 57.9 1 Carlisle George Middleton 12,779 40.4 1 Crewe John William Bowen 20,948 50.2 1 Stockton-on-Tees Frederick Fox Riley 18,961 41.2 1 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 11,039 39.6 1 1931 general election Camberwell North Charles Ammon 9,869 48.1 2 Carlisle George Middleton 13,445 42.7 2 Crewe John William Bowen 18,351 42.2 2 Stockton-on-Tees Frederick Fox Riley 18,168 38.4 2 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 9,983 31.2 2 1935 general election Camberwell North Charles Ammon 11,701 64.7 1 Crewe John William Bowen 20,620 48.7 2 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 14,378 46.0 2 1945 general election Clitheroe Harry Randall 19,443 53.7 1 Heston and Isleworth William Williams 29,192 54.3 1 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 15,650 51.1 1 1950 general election Clitheroe Harry Randall 18,359 43.8 2 Heston and Isleworth William Williams 29,013 43.6 2 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 18,478 47.0 1 1951 general election Droylsden William Williams 26,829 51.8 1 Dumfriesshire George Douglas 16,669 38.7 2 Mitcham Harry Randall 28,187 45.3 2 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 19,036 47.5 1 1955 general election Manchester Openshaw William Williams 24,638 59.7 1 Walthamstow East Harry Wallace 15,744 43.1 2 1955 by-election Gateshead West Harry Randall 13,196 66.5 1 1959 general election Manchester Openshaw William Williams 24,975 60.2 1 Gateshead West Harry Randall 21,277 64.9 1 1963 by-election Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 16,101 65.9 1 1964 general election Bristol North East Raymond Dobson 21,212 44.2 2 Gateshead West Harry Randall 21,390 69.0 1 Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 22,589 59.6 1 1966 general election Brighton Kemptown Dennis Hobden 24,936 50.8 1 Bristol North East Raymond Dobson 25,699 54.2 1 Gateshead West Harry Randall 20,381 74.8 1 Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 22,103 64.9 1 1970 general election Brighton Kemptown Dennis Hobden 21,105 42.9 2 Bristol North East Raymond Dobson 22,792 49.5 2 Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 19,397 60.2 1 1971 by-election Stirling and Falkirk Harry Ewing 17,536 46.5 1 Feb 1974 general election Brighton Kemptown Dennis Hobden 19,484 38.1 2 Hampstead Tony Clarke 17,279 38.3 2 Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 16,478 53.5 1 Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth Harry Ewing 21,685 41.9 1 Western Isles Andrew Wilson 2,879 19.2 2 Oct 1974 general election Brighton Kemptown Dennis Hobden 19,060 40.3 2 Hampstead Tony Clarke 16,414 40.6 2 Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 16,109 57.6 1 Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth Harry Ewing 22,090 43.3 1 1979 general election Manchester Openshaw Charles Morris 17,099 62.1 1 Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth Harry Ewing 29,499 56.5 1 1983 general election Falkirk East Harry Ewing 17,956 47.7 1 1987 general election Falkirk East Harry Ewing 21,379 54.2 1 1992 general election Falkirk East Michael Connarty 18,423 46.1 1
General Secretaries [ edit ] 1919: William Bowen [ 7] 1936: T. J. Hodgson [ 7] 1944: Charles Geddes [ 7] 1956: Ron Smith [ 7] 1967: Thomas Jackson [ 7] 1982: Alan Tuffin [ 7] 1992: Alan Johnson [ 7] Deputy General Secretaries [ edit ] 1919: Walter Baker [ 7] 1931: James Paterson[ 7] 1941: Charles Geddes [ 7] 1944: G. A. Stevens[ 7] 1951: Richard Hayward[ 7] 1956: L. V. Andrews[ 7] 1967: Norman Stagg[ 7] 1980: Alan Tuffin [ 7] 1982: Tony Clarke [ 7] 1993: Derek Hodgson [ 7] 1919: Will Lockyer [ 7] 1935: W. T. Leicester[ 7] 1947: A. H. Wood[ 7] 1953: Ron Smith [ 7] 1956: E. R. Mercer[ 7] 1962: Fred Moss[ 7] 1981: Fred Binks[ 7] 1988: Derek Walsh[ 7] ^ David Farnham, Employee Relations in Context , p. 268. ^ Marsh, Arthur (1984). Trade Union Handbook (3 ed.). Aldershot: Gower. pp. 167–168. ISBN 0566024268 ^ a b Arthur Ivor Marsh, Trade Union Handbook , p. 401. ^ David Butler; Gareth Butler (1986). British political facts, 1900-1985 . Macmillan. p. 366. ISBN 978-0-333-39948-4 ^ Clinton, Alan (1984). Post Office Workers: A Trade Union and Social History . London: George Allen and Unwin. pp. 672–676. ISBN 9780043310861 ^ Parker, James (2017). Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940 (PDF) . Exeter: University of Exeter. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Clinton, Alan (1984). Post Office Workers . George Allen and Unwin. p. 664. ISBN 0043310869
