James Swift (1841 or 1842 – March 1904) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

trade unionist 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 ...

. Swift was elected as general secretary of the

Steam Engine Makers' Society The Steam Engine Makers' Society (SEM) was an early trade union representing engineers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in Liverpool in 1824, and was able to meet openly in Manchester by 1826, despite the Combination Act 1825 severely ...

in 1874. The

craft union Craft unionism refers to a model of trade unionism in which workers are organised based on the particular craft or trade in which they work. It contrasts with industrial unionism, in which all workers in the same industry are organized into the sa ...

he headed, though fairly small, was one of the longest-established trade unions in the UK."Trade Unions: IV - the Steam-Engine Makers' Society", ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 3 March 1881 Based 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 ...

, Swift soon became one of the best-known trade unionists in the region. He represented the union at the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union center, national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions that collectively represent most unionised workers in England and Wales. There are 48 affiliated unions with a total of ...

(TUC), being elected to the

Parliamentary Committee of the TUC The Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress was the leading body of the British trade union movement from 1871 until 1921. History The Trades Union Congress (TUC) was established in 1868 and formed a committee to act on its decisions a ...

in 1886, and as its Chairman in 1889."Mr James Swift", ''

'', 8 March 1904 Swift strongly opposed the New Unionism of the 1890s, and lost his seat on the Parliamentary Committee, but was happy to take a prominent role in industrial disputes alongside the

Amalgamated Society of Engineers The Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) was a major British trade union, representing factory workers and mechanics. History The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Mi ...

. In 1895, he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace, and also became a Visiting Justice at

Strangeways Prison HM Prison Manchester is a Category A and B men's prison in Manchester, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. It is still commonly referred to as Strangeways, which was its former official name derived from the area in which it is l ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, James 1840s births 1904 deaths Trade unionists from Manchester Members of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress