The Public Works and Constructional Operatives' Union 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 ...

representing labourers in the

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History

The union was founded in 1889 by Andrew Hall and Arthur Humphrey in

West Ham West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross. The area was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor of Ham, a ...

, late in 1889, Navvies, Bricklayers' Labourers and General Labourers' Union.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.3, p.124 John Ward had been attempting to found a similar organisation in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

, and in May 1890 he was persuaded to join the new union, winning election in June as its first president. The union grew rapidly, and by 1892 claimed 5,000 members. The union gradually spread across England and South Wales, developing particular strength in the port at

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

. In 1897, Ward and Humphrey both resigned, in protest at the union's London-based executive refusing to increase their travel allowances. Ward was appointed as leader of a new South Wales and South Western district, and led a successful strike in Barry. He was elected as the union's general secretary, and moved the headquarters to Barry, although he returned them to London two years later. While Ward remained leader of the union, he was away throughout

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, leading a labour battalion, and he then led it as an anti-Soviet force in the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. The lack of leadership led much of the union's membership to defect to its main rivals, National Association of Builders' Labourers, the United Order of General Labourers of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United Builders' Labourers Union. In 1920, the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives arranged a merger conference between the four unions of labourers, but Ward returned and withdrew the union from them. He renamed the union as the Public Workers and Constructional Operatives' Union, but it never became a significant force again. In 1929, its

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

district merged into the

Transport and General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general union, general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland—where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU)—with 900 ...

, and the last remnant of the union, still led by Ward, disappeared in 1933.

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1889: Arthur Humphrey :1896: W. Martin :1897: John Ward

Presidents

:1890: John Ward :1897: Richard Davies :1899:

References

*Arthur Ivor Marsh. ''Concise encyclopedia of industrial relations.'' Gower Press, Dec 1, 1979 pg. 316 Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom 1889 establishments in the United Kingdom Builders' labourers' trade unions Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations Trade unions established in 1889 Trade unions disestablished in 1933 Trade unions based in London {{UK-trade-union-stub