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The Shipping Federation was an association of employers in the shipping industry. It was formed in 1890 in response to the
London dock strike of 1889
The London dock strike was an industrial dispute involving dock workers in the Port of London. It broke out on 14 August 1889, and resulted in victory for the 100,000 strikers and established strong trade unions amongst London dockers, one of whi ...
and the successes of the
National Union of Seamen
The National Union of Seamen (NUS) was the principal trade union of merchant seafarers in the United Kingdom from the late 1880s to 1990. In 1990, the union amalgamated with the National Union of Railwaymen to form the National Union of Rai ...
and various dockers' unions. The main function of the Federation was to co-ordinate the actions of shipowners so as to counter trade unionism and strike action. Its membership was largely made up of firms operating trampships and small vessels. Most ocean liner firms remained outside the Federation until the 1920s, whilst those in Liverpool did not link up with the Federation until it combined with their own local Employers' Association in 1967. In 1975 the Shipping Federation combined with the Chamber of Shipping to form the General Council of British Shipping, but reverted to the name Chamber of Shipping in 1991.
Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the specialist archive service of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, located adjacent to the Central Campus Library. It was established in October 1973 and holds the world's largest archive collecti ...