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A labour council, trades council or industrial council is an association of labour unions or union branches in a given area. Most commonly, they represent unions in a given geographical area, whether at the district, city, region, or provincial or state level. They may also be based on a particular industry rather than geographical area, as for example, in the Maritime Council of Australia which co-ordinated the waterfront and maritime unions involved in the 1890 Australian Maritime Dispute. Affiliates of labour councils are
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 ...
branches or locals, and occasionally other labour movement organisations. Citywide or provincial councils may have district or regional labour council affiliates as well as trade unions. Some labour councils restrict their membership to organisations which are affiliated with a particular national trade union federation, such as many state-level labour councils in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, which are chartered from the AFL–CIO national confederation. Finances are usually obtained through an affiliation fee, often based on a per capita levy on the membership of affiliates. In Australia, trades and labour councils often have their own hall and offices known as a trades hall, with the term trades hall often used as a colloquial expression for the labour council or trades hall council.


Note on usage

Labour councils are a widespread phenomenon, but are given different names in different English-speaking areas. Labour council is most common in Canada and Australia, labor council is used in the (USA) and trades council, trades union council or trades and labour council in the United Kingdom (and until recently was widespread in Australia) and some other countries. Another term sometimes used is industrial council, as in for example, the Barrier Industrial Council of Broken Hill in Australia. National associations of trade unions, such as British Trade Union Congress may also be considered a labour council, though the term often implies a primarily local organisation.


History

Labour councils were formed to meet a need to co-ordinate trade union activity in a geographical region. The earliest examples of this form of organisation can be found in the medieval craft guilds and craft halls that developed in European cities. An example of this is the historic Glasgow Trades Hall wherein the 14 incorporated trades of Hammermen, Tailors, Cordiners, Maltmen, Weavers, Bakers, Skinners, Wrights, Coopers, Fleshers, Masons, Gardeners, Barbers, Bonnetmakers and Dyers each year elected members of the Trades House, headed by the Deacon Convener of the Trades:
The Trades House of Glasgow was created at the time of reform of Glasgow's local government in 1605. At that time the electorate was basically divided into two groups, the Merchants and the Craftsmen. The Craft Incorporations or Guilds comprised the trades Rank of Burgesses under the leadership of the deacon convener, who was given a council. This included the Craft leaders and is the body we now recognise as the Trades House.
The trade union activity of the late 19th century in particular spurred the establishment of labour councils and trades councils across North America, Australia and Britain. Some notable events in the history of labour councils include: * 1791–1794 – Glasgow Trades Hall built to serve as a public hall and meeting place for the city's Trades House and 14 Incorporated Crafts * 1834 – attempt to establish the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union in Britain * 1848 – first Liverpool Trades Council founded * 1856 – Melbourne Trades Hall Committee formed. Now known as Victorian Trades Hall Council * 1858 – Sheffield Trades Council and Glasgow Trades Council founded * 1859 – Melbourne Trades Hall opened in May. Edinburgh Trades Council and Bolton Trades Council founded * 1860 – London Trades Council and Leeds Trades Council founded * 1861 – Dundee Trades Union Council founded * 1864 – Manchester and Salford Trades Council formed. * 1868 – First
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 ...
called by Manchester and Salford Trades Council 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 ...
, with invitations being sent to "trades councils and other similar federations of trade societies" only. * 1871 – Trades & Labor Council of Sydney formed. * 1871 – Toronto Trades and Labour Assembly (now the Toronto and York Labour Council) formed * 1893 – San Francisco Labor Council chartered. * 1895 –
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 ...
(Britain) restricted to unions, with trades councils excluded altogether to avoid dual representation. * 1896 – Building Trades Council (now known as the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council is formed in San Francisco, California, uniting various craft unions in the construction industry. * 1926 – In Britain, trades councils play a prominent role in organising the General Strike


See also

* Bourses du travail in France * Trades Hall *
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 ...
* National trade union centre (or labour federation) * Labour history


References


External links


Glasgow Trades Hall history


Greater London Association of Trade Union Councils
Trades Union Councils
by the British Trade Union Congress
Catalogue of the Coventry Trades Council archives
held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Catalogue of the trades council publications collection
held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick {{Organized labor, sp=uk Labor relations