The National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees (NATTKE) was a

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 ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

which existed between 1890 and 1984. It represented employees who worked in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

s, cinemas and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

History

The union was founded in the aftermath of a strike at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1890 as the United Kingdom Theatrical and Music Hall Operatives' Union. By the turn of the century, it had become a national organisation, and in 1901, it renamed itself the National Union of Theatrical Stage Employees. In 1902, it became affiliated with 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 ...

. In 1904, the union began recruiting workers in cinemas, and renamed itself the National Association of Theatrical Employees, not crediting its cinema staff in the union name until 1936, when it became the National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees. In 1932, Tom O'Brien was elected General Secretary, a post he was to hold until 1970 – including fourteen years during which he was a Labour Party Member of Parliament. The union began organising some

workers, and in 1970, it changed its name under its then General Secretary Robert Keenan to reflect this as NATTKE (the National Association of Theatrical, Television and Kine Employees). It began organising among bingo hall staff, and in 1983 it merged with the National Association of Executives Managers and Staffs. In 1984, the NATTKE merged with the Association of Broadcasting and Allied Staffs to form the Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance. The merged union created by NATTKE and the ABS was briefly known as ETA before becoming BETA.

General Secretaries

:c.1890: T. Elvidge :c.1900: William Johnson :1923: Hugh Roberts :1932: Tom O'Brien :1970: Robert Keenan :1975: John Wilson

References

Entertainment industry unions Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Organisations based in the London Borough of Lambeth 1890 establishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1890 Trade unions disestablished in 1984 Trade unions based in London {{UK-trade-union-stub