Amalgamated Engineering Union


The Amalgamated Engineering Union was a major British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992.

History

The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society, in 1826, popularly known as the "Old Mechanics". They invited a large number of other unions to become part of what became the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.
In 1920, the ASE put out a fresh call for other unions to merge with it in a renamed Amalgamated Engineering Union. Seventeen unions balloted their members on a possible merger, and nine voted in favour of amalgamation:
The resulting union had a membership of 450,000, about 300,000 coming from the ASE.
, a Scottish trade union activist and communist, addressing a rally at Radford Road, Coventry, during the 1922 Engineers' Lockout.
In 1922 employers, represented by the Engineering Employers' Federation, launched an industry-wide lockout in an attempt to reverse the gains made by the AEU during WWI and its aftermath. Exploiting the downturn in economic conditions in the engineering industry, they demanded the union forfeit control over overtime. The lockout lasted from 11 March to 13 June and involved 260,000 workers, 90,000 of them represented by the AEU. The lockout ended with the union conceding some of the employers' demands.
The AEU continued to grow and absorb smaller unions. From 1926, it accepted members who had not completed an apprenticeship. In 1933, it had 168,000 members, and 390,900 by the end of the decade. Its largest membership growth came during the Second World War when its all-male membership voted to admit women for the first time and 100,000 joined almost immediately, membership reaching 825,000 by 1943. However, the AEU also lost its overseas branches in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, which became independent unions.
The AEU merged with the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers on 1 January 1968 to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers, and with the Draughtsmen and Allied Technicians' Association and Constructional Engineering Union in 1971 to form the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. The union was now organised on a federal basis, with four sections: Engineering, Foundry, Construction, and Technical, Administrative and Supervisory. This approach was not a success, as the various sections fell into dispute with each other. In 1984, the Engineering, Foundry and Construction Sections were merged and in 1986 adopted the name Amalgamated Engineering Union once more, while the TASS remained separate and, in 1988, it became entirely independent of the union once more.
Despite this series of amalgamations, declines in the number of workers in heavy industry saw membership drop from a peak of 1,483,400 in 1979, to 858,000 in 1986. The AEU became a mainstay of the moderate right in the trade union movement through the 1980s and 1990s, leading the manufacturing unions in 1989-1991 in a successful push for a shorter working week, but failing to merge with a number of unions, notally the building workers union UCATT.
In 1992 the AEU finally achieved a merger with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, EETPU, after a hundred years of off and on discussions. The new union took the name Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.

Elections results

Like the ASE before it, the AEU affiliated to the Labour Party, sponsoring candidates at each election, many of whom won seats in Parliament.
ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1922 general electionAberdeen North10,95855.71
1922 general electionAshton-under-Lyne8,83442.42
1922 general electionBasingstoke3,03513.63
1922 general electionCamborne4,50221.93
1922 general electionDumbarton Burghs16,39764.51
1922 general electionEdmonton8,40745.11
1922 general electionGateshead18,79543.81
1922 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West11,65443.91
1922 general electionNewton12,31255.61
1922 general electionPlymouth Drake8,35931.42
1922 general electionRochdale15,77438.81
1922 general electionStalybridge and Hyde7,57821.63
1922 general electionThe Wrekin10,60347.62
1922 general electionWoolwich West9,55039.82
1922 general electionYeovil9,58138.32
1923 general electionAberdeen North9,13850.61
1923 general electionEdmonton10,73564.41
1923 general electionGateshead16,68941.12
1923 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West11,52743.22
1923 general electionNewton12,49259.91
1923 general electionRochdale13,52532.62
1924 general electionDumbarton Burghs14,56259.21
1924 general electionEdmonton11,61453.11
1924 general electionNewton12,87556.11
1929 general electionDartford26,87150.61
1929 general electionDumbarton Burghs19,19363.11
1929 general electionEdmonton17,55559.31
1929 general electionNewton18,17660.51
1931 by-electionSunderland30,07439.82
1931 general electionBarrow15,83543.22
1935 general electionConsett25,41958.71
1935 general electionDumbarton Burghs20,40965.21
1935 general electionNewton19,99258.51
1945 general electionAberdeen South17,39842.32
1945 general electionDumbarton Burghs16,26265.21
1945 general electionManchester Hulme12,03455.61
1945 general electionNewton25,19762.01
1948 by-electionEdmonton26,16453.41
1949 by-electionLeeds West21,93555.21
1950 general electionBury and Radcliffe25,70544.42
1950 general electionEast Dunbartonshire25,94352.71
1950 general electionEdmonton34,89755.11
1950 general electionHayes and Harlington22,49060.11
1950 general electionKeighley21,83348.51
1950 general electionLeeds West21,33951.61
1950 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne North16,86035.92
1950 general electionNewton31,83259.11
1950 general electionRochdale25,48444.91
1950 general electionSouthall27,10753.91
1951 general electionCirencester and Tewkesbury18,35340.52
1951 general electionEast Dunbartonshire26,67851.21
1951 general electionEdmonton36,02358.41
1951 general electionEsher15,33428.62
1951 general electionGlasgow Scotstoun20,87249.32
1951 general electionHayes and Harlington23,82364.81
1951 general electionKeighley23,74352.81
1951 general electionLeeds West22,35754.11
1951 general electionNewton31,37458.31
1951 general electionRochdale27,34349.62
1951 general electionSouthall29,12357.91
1951 general electionSouthend West17,35230.92
1951 general electionStockport North20,89344.92
1955 general electionBarry19,72242.12
1955 general electionBridgwater17,17040.82
1955 general electionEast Dunbartonshire24,21648.71
1955 general electionEdmonton30,23256.61
1955 general electionGlasgow Woodside15,54343.92
1955 general electionHigh Peak13,65234.62
1955 general electionKeighley19,41446.51
1955 general electionLeeds West24,57652.81
1955 general electionNewton29,29957.91
1955 general electionRochdale24,92848.52
1955 general electionSouthall25,20757.21
1955 general electionStockport South16,61244.52
1958 by-electionRochdale22,13344.71
1959 general electionBurnley27,67557.01
1959 general electionDoncaster22,93546.42
1959 general electionEast Dunbartonshire27,94251.11
1959 general electionEdmonton25,59850.51
1959 general electionGlasgow Scotstoun24,69053.71
1959 general electionGlasgow Woodside14,48343.12
1959 general electionHigh Peak13,82734.02
1959 general electionKeighley20,45649.82
1959 general electionLeeds West25,87854.91
1959 general electionNewton31,04157.41
1959 general electionOxford18,31034.82
1959 general electionRochdale21,68941.51
1959 general electionSouthall22,28552.71
1959 general electionSouth Northamptonshire18,29243.02
1959 general electionStockport South17,98246.72
1963 by-electionSwansea East18,90961.11
1964 general electionBradford North17,90543.61
1964 general electionBristol North West21,03042.92
1964 general electionBurnley25,24456.81
1964 general electionDoncaster23,84549.91
1964 general electionEast Dunbartonshire32,94855.61
1964 general electionEdmonton24,37349.21
1964 general electionGateshead East26,63364.51
1964 general electionGlasgow Scotstoun27,03661.61
1964 general electionKeighley17,81643.01
1964 general electionLeeds West22,96850.51
1964 general electionNewton32,93256.01
1964 general electionPaisley26,31852.91
1964 general electionRochdale22,92746.71
1964 general electionSalford West20,49055.51
1964 general electionSouthall18,04148.01
1964 general electionSwansea East30,90473.01
1964 general electionTottenham19,45854.71
1964 general electionTruro14,22431.52
1964 general electionWallsend39,84160.41
1966 general electionBradford North21,72755.41
1966 general electionBurnley25,58360.41
1966 general electionConsett29,75373.31
1966 general electionDoncaster25,77756.71
1966 general electionEast Dunbartonshire32,98852.21
1966 general electionEdmonton26,42258.61
1966 general electionGateshead East27,62869.61
1966 general electionGlasgow Scotstoun27,32061.81
1966 general electionKeighley22,03955.01
1966 general electionLeeds West24,39156.31
1966 general electionNewton36,90162.81
1966 general electionPaisley28,07460.01
1966 general electionRochdale24,48152.41
1966 general electionSalford West19,23759.21
1966 general electionSwansea East30,29075.41
1966 general electionTottenham17,36765.31
1966 general electionWallsend39,74465.21
1970 general electionAberdeen North27,70762.11
1970 general electionBradford North20,14152.11
1970 general electionBurnley24,20057.01
1970 general electionConsett28,98570.91
1970 general electionDoncaster22,65850.71
1970 general electionEdmonton20,62649.11
1970 general electionGateshead East28,52464.81
1970 general electionGlasgow Scotstoun26,49257.41
1970 general electionKeighley20,34149.32
1970 general electionLeeds West21,61851.81
1970 general electionLouth16,40333.92
1970 general electionMerthyr Tydfil9,23428.72
1970 general electionNewton34,87352.51
1970 general electionPaisley25,42954.11
1970 general electionRochdale19,24741.61
1970 general electionSalford West16,98654.31
1970 general electionSouth Northamptonshire21,13137.22
1970 general electionSouth West Norfolk16,57242.72
1970 general electionSwansea East28,18368.51
1970 general electionTottenham17,36761.31
1970 general electionWallsend39,06561.31
1973 by-electionDundee East14,41132.71
1974 Feb general electionAberdeen North23,19347.71
1974 Feb general electionBradford North22,38143.31
1974 Feb general electionBridgwater16,78629.52
1974 Feb general electionBurnley21,10850.41
1974 Feb general electionCarlton20,14733.52
1974 Feb general electionChorley25,44040.31
1974 Feb general electionConsett27,40161.11
1974 Feb general electionCoventry North East30,49663.91
1974 Feb general electionDoncaster23,04147.91
1974 Feb general electionDundee East17,10033.72
1974 Feb general electionGateshead East27,26955.21
1974 Feb general electionGlasgow Garscadden21,03552.31
1974 Feb general electionGloucester18,21535.22
1974 Feb general electionLeeds West19,43642.11
1974 Feb general electionNewton38,36949.31
1974 Feb general electionPaisley23,82048.41
1974 Feb general electionSt Pancras North14,76152.81
1974 Feb general electionSalford West16,80851.31
1974 Feb general electionSwansea East28,53766.31
1974 Feb general electionTottenham16,99954.81
1974 Feb general electionWallsend41,81162.01
1974 Oct general electionAberdeen North23,13050.91
1974 Oct general electionBradford North22,84149.11
1974 Oct general electionBurnley21,64254.81
1974 Oct general electionChorley27,29044.11
1974 Oct general electionConsett27,12367.01
1974 Oct general electionCoventry North East26,48959.51
1974 Oct general electionDoncaster22,17751.31
1974 Oct general electionDundee East15,13732.72
1974 Oct general electionGateshead East27,62061.91
1974 Oct general electionGlasgow Garscadden19,73750.91
1974 Oct general electionLeeds West20,66949.61
1974 Oct general electionNewton38,95653.31
1974 Oct general electionPaisley21,36844.81
1974 Oct general electionRochdale17,33936.82
1974 Oct general electionSt Pancras North14,15558.51
1974 Oct general electionSalford West17,11257.21
1974 Oct general electionTottenham15,70858.81
1974 Oct general electionWallsend37,18058.11
1979 general electionAberdeen North26,77159.31
1979 general electionBradford North25,06950.91
1979 general electionBurnley20,17250.81
1979 general electionChorley28,54643.02
1979 general electionConsett26,70861.31
1979 general electionCoventry North East27,01057.31
1979 general electionDoncaster22,18448.91
1979 general electionGateshead East28,77661.21
1979 general electionHackney North and Stoke Newington14,68851.61
1979 general electionKilmarnock25,71852.61
1979 general electionLeeds West21,29049.41
1979 general electionManchester Blackley20,34650.41
1979 general electionNewton41,46651.41
1979 general electionRochdale16,87834.32
1979 general electionSt Pancras North14,55654.21
1979 general electionSalford West18,41161.51
1979 general electionTottenham16,29956.91
1979 general electionWallsend38,21455.11
1983 general electionAberdeen North19,26247.01
1983 general electionCoventry North East22,19047.81
1983 general electionDoncaster Central21,15442.01
1983 general electionEdinburgh Leith16,17739.71
1983 general electionGateshead East22,98148.31
1983 general electionHackney North and Stoke Newington18,98952.01
1983 general electionKilmarnock and Loudoun20,25043.61
1983 general electionLeeds West15,86034.02
1983 general electionManchester Blackley20,13248.11
1983 general electionSt Helens North25,33447.91
1983 general electionSalford East21,37353.71
1983 general electionTottenham22,42352.01
1983 general electionWallsend26,61550.11
1985 by-electionTyne Bridge13,51757.81
1986 by-electionKnowsley North17,40356.31
1987 general electionAberdeen North24,14554.71
1987 general electionBury North21,18637.82
1987 general electionCaithness and Sutherland3,43714.93
1987 general electionDoncaster Central26,26651.21
1987 general electionEdinburgh Leith21,10449.31
1987 general electionFeltham and Heston22,32537.42
1987 general electionGlasgow Pollok23,23963.11
1987 general electionKilmarnock and Loudoun23,71348.51
1987 general electionKnowsley North27,45469.91
1987 general electionManchester Blackley22,47652.41
1987 general electionSt Helens North28,98953.71
1987 general electionSalford East22,55558.81
1987 general electionSheffield Central25,87267.71
1987 general electionSheffield Heeley28,42553.41
1987 general electionTyne Bridge23,13163.01
1987 general electionWallsend32,70956.81
1992 general electionAberdeen North18,84547.01
1992 general electionBolton North East21,45944.52
1992 general electionDoncaster Central27,79554.31
1992 general electionGlasgow Pollok14,17043.41
1992 general electionKilmarnock and Loudoun22,21044.81
1992 general electionKnowsley North27,51777.51
1992 general electionManchester Blackley23,03160.21
1992 general electionRotherham27,93363.91
1992 general electionSalford East20,32760.01
1992 general electionSheffield Central22,76468.71
1992 general electionSheffield Heeley28,00555.71
1992 general electionSt Helens North31,93057.91
1992 general electionTyne Bridge22,32867.21

Leadership

General Secretaries

;AEU
;AEF/AUEW
;AEU

Presidents