The British Seafarers' Union (BSU) was a trade union which organised sailors and firemen in the British ports of Southampton and Glasgow between 1911/1912 and 1922. After the Second World War there were widespread calls for reform of the NUS. These records come from The National Archives' record series BT112, BT113, BT114, BT115, BT116, BT119 and BT120. The title of National Union of Seamen was adopted in 1926. The registration of seamen was introduced under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1835, to allow the Government to The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. RESPONDENT: UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS DATE OF JUDGMENT08/11/1982 BENCH: MISRA, R.B. The series includes personnel records with papers documenting the service of merchant seamen licensed by the United States in the years up to and including 1967. Although of considerable local importance, the organisation remained much smaller and less influential at a national level than the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union, (NSFU). National Union of Seamen Great Britain. That belatedly brought the NUS into line with the general practices of the trade union movement. Privacy Policy, Photocopies of photographs of Edmund Cathery, general secretary of the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union/National Union of Seamen, 1894-1926, and family, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), International Transport Workers' Federation. Ten year closure rule on all papers; thirty year closure rule on some files giving personal details or belonging to high ranking officials. Häftad, 2011. page 385 note 7 In 1911 Wilson had secured for his union the services of several colourful characters, among them “Captain” Edward … His connections with many antiracist initiatives including the Colonial Seamen's Organisation and the Pan-African Movement widened the SMM's links and brought international attention to the NUS's failure to back the largest black and minority ethnic workforce in Britain.[5]. The International Seamen's Union (ISU) was an American maritime trade union which operated from 1892 until 1937. Laura Tabili, "The Construction of Racial Difference in Twentieth-Century Britain: The Special Restriction (Coloured Alien Seamen) Order, 1925," Journal of British Studies 33 (January 1994): 54–98. Modern Military Records Unit National Archives at College Park 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740-6001. [6] By 1960, it enjoyed a close relationship with the party and, unusually, every one of its local branches was affiliated to its Constituency Labour Party. [7] In 1970, it finally secured its first sponsored Member of Parliament, John Prescott, who became a prominent national figure. The records of the National Union of Railwaymen are essentially a continuation of those of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales which was the largest partner in the amalgamation forming the union. The National Union of Seamen was founded in 1893 as the National Sailors and Firemen's Union, the successor to the National Amalgamated Sailors and Firemen's Union of Great Britain and Ireland, founded in 1887 on the initiative of J.H. In 1922, the arrangements were extended by the establishment of the 'PC5 system', which was intended to allow the Shipping Federation and the union to exercise joint control over access to employment in the shipping industry. In 1897, the ASRS began a new series of membership registers, which was continued by the NUR. Our family heard a lot about the discussions and the delicate balance of arguing for fair recompense and the importance of the union for the ‘working man’. Cathery ran in the name of the union.[3]. In 1893, the NASFU went into voluntary liquidation to avoid bankruptcy. U.S., Official records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1861-1865 U.S., Pardons Under Amnesty Proclamations, 1865-1869 U.S., Passenger and Crew Lists for U.S. WorldCat record id: 477248633. In many ports rank and file strike committees and activists played a more important organisational role than the union itself, and the union's long-standing programme was over-shadowed by demands for wage increases. That was especially the National Transport Workers' Federation, which helped to merge the rival organisations referred to above into a new organisation, the Amalgamated Marine Workers' Union, intended as a viable alternative to the NSFU. Key SMM figures in the 1920s and 1930s included Barbados-born, London-based Chris Braithwaite (Chris Jones). C $33.65. Criticism of the NSFU became increasingly widespread with its apparent role in the 1925 Special Restriction (Coloured Alien Seamen) Order, which is seen as the first path-breaking attempt to expel non-British-born people;[4] its failure to observe the general strike in 1926; and its support of a "non-political" Miners' Union in Nottinghamshire. In addition there is a box list of material deposited in 1993-1994. Militant resistance to the NSFU was expressed through the Seamen's Minority Movement (founded 1924) part of the Transport Workers' Minority Movement. The Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, was strongly critical of the strike, alleging that it had been taken over by Communists to bring down his administration. Seafarers could be away from home for months or years and so "a union man" on board, not far off in the Clapham headquarters, enhanced solidarity. WorldCat record id: 477248633. This site uses cookies I understand More information. The union's control over the movement was incomplete. Indeed, at the 1918 general election, it sponsored three candidates:[3], Wilson was primarily sponsored by the Liberal Party, while Bell described himself as a Coalition Labour candidate. A National Seamen's Reform Movement was established in the latter year. Records relating to the union have been deposited here with those of the National Union of Seamen (Aberdeen Branch), suggesting that the two may have amalgamated at some time in the early twentieth century. In the only issue the museum has for 1940, it is titled the ‘National Union of Seamen’. The union's involvement in it allowed it to negotiate directly with shipowners over wages and conditions. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. Search Advanced Search Newspapers & Gazettes Magazines & Newsletters Images, Maps & Artefacts Research & Reports Books & Libraries Diaries, Letters & Archives Music, Audio & Video People & Organisations Websites Lists Discover more about the Merchant Navy Seamen records There are more than 2.6 million Merchant Navy Seamen records, which we are publishing in partnership with The National Archives. In 1922 a cooks and stewards' section was formed and the Hull Seamen's Union, the oldest and strongest of the local societies, was absorbed. Description. These records of apprenticeships, from IR 1, are for various professions, including seamen both as apprentices and as masters. Large numbers of files of negotiations with specific companies were not saved, with the exception of a few companies, saved as samples. The National Union of Seamen (NUS) was the principal trade union of merchant seafarers in the United Kingdom from the late 1880s to 1990. (New York University). Brand New. In 1990 the union amalgamated with the National Union of Railwaymen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. Seamen’s pouches, issued 1940-1972 but covering service 1913-1972. After the outbreak of World War I, the union began collaborating closely with the Admiralty and shipowners in support of the war effort. Cookies | Christian Høgsbjerg, "Mariner, renegade and castaway: Chris Braithwaite, seamen’s organiser and Pan-Africanist", National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, The Strike and the Split – The NSFU and BSU in Southampton, 1911–1913, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Union_of_Seamen&oldid=971681627, Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom, 1887 establishments in the United Kingdom, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 August 2020, at 15:55. When the National Union of Seamen vacated its old headquarters at Maritime House, two large basements of records had been left behind and a selection had to be made of which records to save. Seamens Union of Australia (i) - Trade Union entry - Australian Trade Union Archives - Australian Trade Union archives (ATUA) is an online gateway for researchers and scholars of labour history, designed to link together historical detail, archival resources, published resources and current information about Australian industrial organisat Sources held at the Modern Records Centre National Union of Seamen (MSS.175) It adopted the title 'National Union of Seamen' in 1926. From Australia. Canadian Seaman's Union, established 1936 to improve the archaic working conditions and wages for ordinary commercial seamen. A further development in 1917 was the formation of the National Maritime Board as a governing body for the merchant marine. On 16 May 1966, the NUS launched its first national strike since 1911. (New York University). The leadership of the union was not greatly influenced by 'socialism'. In its last few years, the union effectively split into the National Maritime Union and Seafarer's International Union. About | Relaunched in 1894 as the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union (NSFU), having dropped the word "Amalgamated", the union continued to experience financial difficulties and low membership. From the description of Photograph collection, [ca. In 1990, the union amalgamated with the National Union of Railwaymen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). [2] At a national level, however, the NSFU was able to maintain and increase its supremacy. From 1916, Havelock Wilson emerged as one of the most vehement supporters of the war in the labour movement, ostensibly because of Germany's conduct of the war at sea, especially the alleged targeting of non-combatant vessels. On 23 May, a week after the outbreak of the strike, the Government declared a state of emergency, but emergency powers were not used. In 1897, the ASRS began a new series of membership registers, which was continued by the NUR. Photocopies of photographs of Edmund Cathery, general secretary of the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union/National Union of Seamen, 1894-1926, and family Most notably they contain rich genealogical history, … Include in your letter the full name, address, and telephone number of the individual making the request. July 1947 is the first issue that presents the ‘National Union of Seamen’ logo. They will respond with an estimate of the cost of the research. The union also became involved in a large number of expensive legal cases. From the summer of 1910 the union worked to promote a national seamen's strike to combat the Shipping Federation. From the September-October 1943 issue, the magazine is again titled: ‘The Seaman : the Official Organ National Union of Seamen’. The term failed to recognise that women were also members; some seawomen had earlier organized in an unsuccessful Guild of Stewardesses. The union fought and lost defensive actions in Hull, Bristol, Cardiff and other important centres in 1891–1893. The National Maritime Union of America was established in New York City in 1937. The NUS re-affiliated to the Labour Party in 1931, and sponsored unsuccessful candidates at several general elections; generally in safe Conservative seats, hoping to later sponsor a candidate in a winnable constituency. By 1889 it had 45 branches and a nominal membership of 80,000. Global Seamen's Union v. National Maritime Union of America U.S. Supreme Court Transcript of Record with Supporting Pleadings by NATHAN L POSNER. The Seamen's Union was founded in Sunderland in 1887 as the National Amalgamated Sailors' and Firemen's Union. But from 1890, it began to face determined resistance from shipowners, who formed an association, the Shipping Federation, to co-ordinate their strike-breaking and anti-union activity. 1940-1960]. In 1917 the Union provoked controversy by refusing to convey Arthur Henderson and Ramsay MacDonald to a conference of socialist parties in Stockholm, which had been convened in the wake of the Russian Revolution to discuss the possibility of a peace policy. Attempts were made among SMM black activists to combat the notorious postwar racism. By 1932, the Seamen's Minority Movement was 1,000-strong (less than a hundredth of the maritime workforce). Nonetheless, the strike greatly increased both the funds and the membership of the union, allowing it to emerge once again as a significant force. Affiliated to the TRADES AND LABOR CONGRESS , this effective, well-supported, nationalist, communist-led industrial union contributed handsomely to Canada's WWII effort despite the leadership's flip-flops. Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1863–1921 The records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen consist of crew lists and agreements with seamen regarding wage rates, conditions of service and related information of ships, registered in what is now the Republic of Ireland between 1863 and 1921. Although partly due to the actions of shipowners, the difficulties experienced by the union in this period have also been attributed to its officials' taste for litigation and their inadequate handling of union finances. More importantly, it brought greater connection to the union. Contemporaries often regarded the NSFU as a militant organisation because of the strikes in which it had involved itself in the late 1880s and in 1911. Race riots had occurred in seaports such as South Shields, Liverpool and Cardiff. Also, the union itself felt a duty to support its white British-born members first during times of high unemployment. A detailed catalogue of material accessioned up to 1981 is available at the Centre. The Seamen's Union, the National Maritime Board and Firemen 17 to the problems of mobility and dispersal. Further wage reductions were made in 1923, and 1925, which again outraged members. No further details were available at time of compilation. Rank and File Committees, building on the earlier Minority Movement, were established in many ports, and unofficial strikes took place in 1947, 1955 and 1960. These pre-1967 records, from Record Group 26, Records of the U.S. Coast Guard, Merchant Marine Personnel and Licensing Records, contain a wealth of information. The acceptance of cuts in pay provoked considerable resistance from ordinary seafarers and from the rival organisations: the British Seafarers' Union and the National Union of Ship's Stewards. Indexes to Seamen's Protection Certificate Applications and Proofs of Citizenship. The strike aimed to secure higher wages and to reduce the working week from 56 to 40 hours. A degree of reform was conceded in 1962, with the decision to allow a system of workplace representation by shop stewards. • Catalogue of the NUS archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Prominent figures who have held positions in the NUS include: National Amalgamated Sailors' and Firemen's Union (1887–1893), National Sailors' and Firemen's Union (1894–1926). From the description of Photograph collection, [ca. In 1897, the ASRS began a new series of membership registers, which was continued by the NUR. The National Union of Railwaymen, 1913-2013 The National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) was formed in 1913 by the amalgamation of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the General Railway Workers' Union and the United Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society. The NUS's almost-closed shop made the union stronger. In 1921, the National Maritime Board imposed wage reductions, which were supported by the NSFU. In 1888 and 1889 the union fought a number of successful strikes in Glasgow, Seaham, Liverpool and other major ports. The strike finally came to an end on 1 July. Yet from its inception the union expressed a belief in the possibility of industrial harmony, and announced itself in favour of establishing conciliation procedures. In the changing context of the nineteenth century, when legal restrictions against combination were removed and communications became increasingly easy, the trade union movement evolved rapidly from its original craft base. The National Maritime Union of America was established in New York City in 1937. Its founder, J. Havelock Wilson became its president. The NUR amalgamated with the National Union of Seamen in 1990 to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Following the strike-wave, the union gained official recognition from many shipowners. The political importance of the strike was enormous: the disruption of trade had an adverse effect on the United Kingdom's (precarious) balance of payments, provoked a run on the pound and threatened to undermine the government's attempts to keep wage increases below 3.5%. This collection includes: rules; minutes and papers of executive council and other bodies; financial records; subject files; periodical and other publications; research records; press cuttings; legal records; branch records. The Seaman: The Official Organ of the National Union of Seamen My dad is a diehard Union man and in his working life, was heavily involved in negotiations for better contracts for civic employees. Records changed over time, and those that still exist have been filed under a range of catalogue numbers, though at least the bulk of them are held in one repository: The National Archives at Kew. This finally took place in the summer of 1911. In September 1928, the Union was officially expelled from the Trades Union Congress. Many members felt that the union was too closely associated with the employers and that it had failed to defend its members' interests. The National Maritime Union is a union of merchant seamen, founded in 1937. Global Seamen's Union V. National Maritime Union of America U.S. Supreme Court. Other sections of the trade union and labour movement were also strongly critical of the NSFU's detrimental collusion with employers. This volume, the third in a series of indexes to early merchant seamen's records, completes the project of indexing all of the Seamen's Protection Certficate applications and related proofs of citizenship held by the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In 1911/1912 the growth of the NSFU was checked by a breakaway movement in Southampton and Glasgow which led to the formation of the rival British Seafarers' Union. No longer active, the file contained transcripts of bugged meetings of the National Union of Seamen, which Prescott advised during the 1966 seamen's strike and later worked for as an official. Government documents released today by the Public Records Office under the 30-year rule show a year in which ... outcome of discussions at the executive of the National Union of Seamen". A voluminous amount of case files was also rejected. 1940-1960]. University of Warwick Library Modern Records Centre However, after the death of Havelock Wilson in 1929, the NUS quickly began to pursue a more mainstream policy and became reconciled with the rest of the trade union movement. These episodes depleted its funds and led to a large fall in membership. The NUR amalgamated with the National Union of Seamen in 1990 to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Printed material, including the proceedings of general meetings, is open for research. Photocopies of photographs of Edmund Cathery, general secretary 1894-1926, and family. Its founder and president, J. Havelock Wilson, served several terms as a Liberal Party MP, and the union itself did not affiliate to the Labour Party until 1919. The National Maritime Union is a union of merchant seamen, founded in 1937. It was widely supported by union members and caused great disruption to shipping, especially in London, Liverpool and Southampton. Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed … Bound Vessels Arriving in Canada, 1912-1939 and 1953-1962 The NUR amalgamated with the National Union of Seamen in 1990 to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Wilson. It quickly spread to other ports and had become genuinely national by the end of 1888. The government has "in principle" approved the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) demand of extending employee welfare measures such as provident fund and pension to the seamen … The seamen's trade union records held at the Modern Records Centre do not readily lend themselves to tracing the careers of individual seamen, so it is probably best to start with one of the guides to shipping records produced by the National Archives. Saved, with the decision to allow a system of workplace representation shop. Its founder, J. 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