Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
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| Motto | Workers of the world, unite! |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1871 |
| Date dissolved | 1913 |
| Merged into | National Union of Railwaymen |
| Members | 97,561 (1907)[1] |
| Journal | Railway Review |
| Affiliation | TUC, Labour |
| Office location | 72 Acton Street, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS) was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom from 1872 until 1913.
Contents
1 History
2 Leadership
2.1 General Secretaries
2.2 Assistant Secretaries
2.3 Presidents
3 References
4 Sources and further reading
5 External links
6 See also
History
The ASRS was an industrial union founded in 1871 with the support of the Liberal MP Michael Thomas Bass.[2] Its early years were difficult. In 1872 the ASRS reported having 17,247 members but by 1882 this had declined to only 6,321.[3]
In 1880 the ASRS's growth was challenged by the foundation of two railway craft unions: the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen and the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society.[3] A fourth union, the General Railway Workers' Union, was founded in 1889.[3]
In 1900 the ASRS proposed amalgamation with ASLEF[4] but ASLEF proposed federation with the drivers and firemen of the ASRS.[5] A Scheme of Federation was drafted and ASLEF's triennial conference adopted it in 1903.[4] There were joint meetings of the Executive Committees of the two unions until 1906 when relations broke down.[6]
In 1907 the Board of Trade set up a Conciliation Board between railway employees and their employers, but its operation dissatisfied many workers and ASLEF's General Secretary nicknamed it the "Confiscation" Board.[7] By this point, the ASRS had grown significantly, with 97,561 members in 1907, making it one of the country's largest trade unions.[1]
In August 1911 the ASRS, ASLEF, GRWU and UPSS jointly called the United Kingdom's first national rail strike.[8] In only two days the joint action succeeded in forcing the Liberal Government to set up a Royal Commission to examine the workings of the Conciliation Board.[9]
In 1913 the ASRS, GRWU and UPSS merged, forming the National Union of Railwaymen.[10]
Leadership
General Secretaries
- 1871: George Chapman
- 1874: Fred W. Evans
- 1883: Edward Harford
- 1897: Richard Bell
- 1909: J. E. Williams
Assistant Secretaries
- 1883: Thomas Watson
- 1889: Edward Garrity
- 1902: J. E. Williams
- 1910: J. H. Thomas
Presidents
- 1872: J. Baxter Langley
- 1874: John David Jenkins
- 1877: Peter Stewart Macliver
- 1892: Walter Hudson
- 1899: George Thaxton
- 1902: W. G. Loraine
- 1905: James Henry Thomas
- 1907: James Reed Bell
- 1910: E. Charles
- 1911: Albert Bellamy
References
^ ab Report on Trade Unions in 1905-1907. London: Board of Trade. 1909. p. 82-101..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ Raynes, 1921, pages 23–24
^ abc Raynes, 1921, page 24
^ ab Raynes, 1921, page 124
^ Raynes, 1921, page 110
^ Raynes, 1921, page 125
^ Raynes, 1921, pages 147–148
^ Raynes, 1921, page 148
^ Raynes, 1921, page 151
^ Raynes, 1921, page 165
Sources and further reading
Bagwell, Philip S (1963). The Railwaymen. London: George Allen & Unwin.
Bagwell, Philip S (1982). The Railwaymen – Volume 2: the Beeching Era and After. London: George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-331084-2.
Griffiths, Robert (2005). Driven by Ideals. London: Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
McKillop, Norman (1950). The Lighted Flame; a History of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. London & Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd.
Raynes, J.R. (1921). Engines and Men; the History of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. Leeds: Goodall & Suddick (1916) Ltd.
External links
Catalogue of the ASRS archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
See also
- Help (dog)
