The Scottish Union of Dock Labourers was a Glasgow-based

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 ...

for waterfront workers. It was formed during the seamen's and dockers' strikes of June–July 1911. Locally, it replaced the

National Union of Dock Labourers The National Union of Dock Labourers (NUDL) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1889 and 1922. History It was formed in Glasgow in 1889 but moved its headquarters to Liverpool within a few years and was thereafter ...

, which had been formed in Glasgow in 1889 but later became unpopular in that port, finally closing its local branch in February 1910. The president of the SUDL throughout its lifetime was Joe Houghton. The union joined the

Transport & General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland—where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU)—with 900,000 members (a ...

in 1922, but many of its members left in 1932 to form the Scottish Transport and General Workers' Union (Docks).

* William Kenefick, ''Rebellious and Contrary: The Glasgow Dockers, 1853-1932'' (Scottish Historical Review Monograph No. 10., East Linton, Tuckwell Press, 2000 Economic history of Scotland Defunct trade unions of Scotland Organisations based in Glasgow Port workers' trade unions Water transport in the United Kingdom Water transport in Scotland 1911 establishments in Scotland Transport and General Workers' Union amalgamations Trade unions established in 1911 Trade unions disestablished in 1922 {{Glasgow-stub

See also

Further reading