Iron and Steel Trades Confederation


The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation was a British trade union for metal-workers and allied groups, being the largest union in these fields. It was formed on 1 January 1917 as a merger of existing steel-workers' unions and it is now part of Community.

History

In 1917 Minister of Labour, John Hodge passed the Trade Unions' Amalgamation Act, which simplified the process whereby Trade Unions merged, amalgamated or federated. This was in response to both the difficulty of mergers under the previous legislation, as well as a desire to push craft unions into general trade unions to cover entire industries. However, difficulties still remained. When the first three members federated in 1917, they were legally prevented from accepting any new members. The ISTC focused on industrial negotiations, and new members joined its subsidiary, the British Iron, Steel and Kindred Trades Association ; formally, unions which federated after 1917 joined this association.
Trade unions that have amalgamated with or transferred engagements to the ISTC or BISAKTA and year it occurred:
The resultant union was named the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation. Members of the Amalgamated Association of Steel and Iron Workers of Great Britain and of the Tin and Sheet Millmens' Association voted against joining the union, but were later reballoted and voted in favour. The Wire Workers Union joined the confederation in 1922 but left in 1924, rejoining in 1991. Other members left in 1924 to form the Constructional Engineering Union.
From the 1980s, employment in the metalworking trades was in sharp decline, and membership of the ISTC dropped in line with this. In 1984, the existing ISTC was legally absorbed by BISAKTA, which took on the ISTC name.
In later years the union also built up representation amongst workers in the electronics industry, plastics and glass, the manufacture of kitchen furniture, carpet production, and call centres. Expansion was especially strong in areas with major steel industry installations.
Responding to the contraction of the British manufacturing sector, the ISTC expanded into new areas in 2000. Both the NLBD and PLCWTWU pre-dating the ISTC having been formed as a trade union in 1899 and 1866 respectively.
In 2004, the ISTC merged with the National Union of Knitwear, Footwear & Apparel Trades to form a new organisation called Community.

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election.
ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1918 general electionKidderminster9,76042.02
1918 general electionManchester Gorton13,04767.41
1918 general electionPontypool8,34838.81
1918 general electionRotherham9,75738.12
1922 general electionBilston10,39245.82
1922 general electionManchester Gorton15,05853.61
1922 general electionPontypool11,19840.61
1922 general electionRotherham16,44949.02
1922 general electionWalsall8,94623.63
1923 general electionBilston9,08537.12
1923 general electionCleveland9,68327.83
1923 general electionPontypool13,77050.61
1924 general electionBilston14,58353.21
1924 general electionBirmingham King's Norton10,49743.31
1924 general electionPontypool15,37852.61
1929 general electionBilston18,67950.81
1929 general electionBirmingham King's Norton13,97340.62
1929 general electionEccles20,48949.81
1929 general electionNewport18,65339.51
1929 general electionPontypool17,80551.51
1931 general electionBilston16,84744.92
1931 general electionEccles16,10138.22
1931 general electionNewport19,23840.92
1931 general electionPontypool18,98156.31
1935 general electionBilston17,82048.82
1935 general electionMotherwell14,75550.71
1940 by-electionSwansea EastunopposedN/A1
1945 general electionBolton44,59524.01
1945 general electionSwansea East19,12775.81
1950 general electionRotherham31,21164.41
1950 general electionSwansea East32,68075.31
1951 general electionRotherham31,12465.61
1951 general electionSwansea East32,79073.61
1955 general electionRotherham27,42363.31
1955 general electionSwansea East28,19872.41
1959 general electionRotherham28,29862.81
1959 general electionSwansea East29,88467.51
1964 general electionNeath29,69273.41
1966 general electionNeath31,18379.91
1968 by-electionSheffield Brightside14,17955.21
1970 general electionNeath28,37871.41
1970 general electionSheffield Brightside23,94172.21
Feb 1974 general electionHalesowen and Stourbridge22,46533.82
Feb 1974 general electionNeath25,35162.31
Feb 1974 general electionSheffield Brightside27,36368.41
Oct 1974 general electionHalesowen and Stourbridge23,63737.62
Oct 1974 general electionNeath25,02861.41
1979 general electionKettering31,57945.01
1979 general electionNeath27,07164.51
1983 general electionCorby17,65936.12
1983 general electionNeath22,67053.61
1987 general electionEnfield North14,74328.52
1987 general electionNeath27,61263.41
1987 general electionNewport West20,88746.11

General Secretaries

Assistant General Secretaries