National Union of Railwaymen


The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. The largest railway workers' union in the country, it was influential in the national trade union movement.

History

The NUR was an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union.
The NUR represented the majority of railway workers, but not white-collar workers, who were members of the Railway Clerks' Association. NUR membership was open to drivers and firemen but most chose instead to be members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
In 1914 the NUR joined forces with the National Transport Workers' Federation and Mining Federation of Great Britain to form the Triple Alliance – perhaps an unfortunate name, as the same year the Triple Entente of Britain, France and Russia and the Triple Alliance of Germany, and Austria-Hungary went to war.
In 1919 the NUR and ASLEF jointly organised the 1919 United Kingdom railway strike, which prevented a proposed wage reduction and won an eight-hour maximum working day. The NUR formed Federation agreements with ASLEF in 1903 and 1982 but both were short-lived.
The NUR had 408,900 members in 1945, making it the fifth largest union in Britain. Its membership fell to 369,400 in 1956 and 227,800 in 1966.
Following the formation of British Rail, the majority of NUR members worked for the nationalised organisation. However, other members worked for London Transport, the National Freight Corporation and various smaller companies. It also recruited British Rail workers in associated industries, such as its hotels, docks and harbours, and on the Sealink ferries.
In 1990 the NUR merged with the National Union of Seamen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and ceased to exist as a separate union.

Election results

The union sponsored numerous Labour Party Parliamentary candidates, many of whom won election.
ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotes% sharePosition
1918 general electionCardiff East5,55428.53
1918 general electionDerby25,14537.81
1918 general electionManchester Ardwick5,67031.82
1918 general electionMiddlesbrough West5,35032.82
1918 general electionNewcastle-upon-Tyne East5,19534.72
1918 general electionReading8,41029.82
1918 general electionWakefield5,88233.72
1918 general electionWarrington5,37722.63
1921 by-electionDudley10,24450.71
1921 by-electionHeywood and Radcliffe13,43041.71
1922 general electionBolton20,15615.84
1922 general electionBristol East13,75949.72
1922 general electionCardiff East7,50631.43
1922 general electionDerby25,21527.01
1922 general electionDudley8,52239.82
1922 general electionHeywood and Radcliffe15,33444.62
1922 general electionLeeds South13,21053.71
1922 general electionLeyton East6,30030.92
1922 general electionManchester Ardwick14,03152.31
1922 general electionSalford West8,72432.32
1922 general electionWakefield9,79848.52
1922 general electionWolverhampton East3,07612.23
1923 general electionDerby24,88729.01
1923 general electionLeeds South11,70544.21
1923 general electionManchester Ardwick15,67360.41
1923 general electionHeywood and Radcliffe15,27347.12
1923 general electionRushcliffe6,88224.73
1924 general electionBarkston Ash11,89441.42
1924 general electionDerby27,42325.71
1924 general electionLeeds South12,79946.31
1924 general electionManchester Ardwick15,94154.91
1924 general electionOldham22,08118.44
1924 general electionPaddington North10,48138.12
1924 general electionWakefield10,19247.92
1928 by-electionAshton-under-Lyne9,56740.61
1929 general electionAshton-under-Lyne13,17044.41
1929 general electionBerwick-upon-Tweed5,40218.42
1929 general electionBethnal Green South West6,84938.72
1929 general electionClitheroe15,59239.52
1929 general electionDerby39,68830.01
1929 general electionLeeds South18,04352.51
1929 general electionLonsdale7,30325.43
1929 general electionManchester Ardwick20,04160.31
1929 general electionOldham32,72725.02
1929 general electionPaddington North13,34839.32
1929 general electionRossendale14,62436.01
1929 general electionWakefield13,39348.81
1929 general electionWestbury7,45822.53
1929 general electionYork20,66345.01
1931 by-electionAshton-under-Lyne11,00539.42
1931 by-electionManchester Ardwick15,29450.51
1931 general electionAshton-under-Lyne11,07437.12
1931 general electionLeeds South14,15640.12
1931 general electionManchester Ardwick15,66442.02
1931 general electionMiddlesbrough West13,04033.42
1931 general electionOldham26,6314
1931 general electionPlymouth Sutton14,07336.72
1931 general electionRossendale11,13527.53
1931 general electionStalybridge and Hyde14,25128.12
1931 general electionWakefield11,77442.62
1931 general electionYork16,31035.12
1933 by-electionRotherham28,76769.11
1935 by-electionEdinburgh West10,46233.92
1935 general electionAccrington21,20345.62
1935 general electionBarrow-in-Furness17,91949.72
1935 general electionEccles20,05547.32
1935 general electionGateshead25,80447.32
1935 general electionLeeds South15,22346.01
1935 general electionManchester Ardwick16,36452.91
1935 general electionMiddlesbrough West12,76433.72
1935 general electionNorwich22,05517.84
1935 general electionPlymouth Sutton15,39441.72
1935 general electionPontefract19,78353.41
1935 general electionRotherham29,72567.51
1935 general electionSalford North15,27243.42
1941 by-electionPontefractunopposedN/A1
1944 by-electionSheffield AttercliffeunopposedN/A1
1945 general electionActon19,95056.11
1945 general electionEccles23,00851.11
1945 general electionExeter15,24540.22
1945 general electionManchester Ardwick14,36064.01
1945 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West28,14958.51
1945 general electionPontefract24,69060.61
1945 general electionRotherham35,65474.21
1945 general electionSalford North18,32760.51
1945 general electionSheffield Attercliffe23,46881.41
1945 general electionSouth Derbyshire47,58657.71
1945 general electionThe Hartlepools16,50241.21
1945 general electionThe Wrekin22,45356.31
1945 general electionWest Stirlingshire16,06654.41
1948 by-electionGlasgow Camlachie10,69042.12
1950 general electionActon21,75149.11
1950 general electionBirmingham Perry Barr23,17856.61
1950 general electionEccles27,40950.71
1950 general electionManchester Wythenshawe17,19137.22
1950 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West31,23058.21
1950 general electionNottingham East20,40446.51
1950 general electionSheffield Attercliffe30,72671.61
1950 general electionSouth East Derbyshire30,03949.11
1950 general electionThe Hartlepools25,60950.61
1950 general electionThe Wrekin19,73053.71
1950 general electionWestbury15,76635.62
1950 general electionWest Stirlingshire19,93055.61
1951 general electionActon23,28752.21
1951 general electionBirmingham Perry Barr23,32258.11
1951 general electionEccles27,94152.51
1951 general electionHaltemprice19,58441.92
1951 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West31,76557.91
1951 general electionNottingham East20,86547.81
1951 general electionSheffield Attercliffe29,95871.11
1951 general electionSouth East Derbyshire33,02052.71
1951 general electionThe Hartlepools27,14752.61
1951 general electionThe Wrekin20,10952.41
1951 general electionWestbury17,62339.22
1954 by-electionHaltemprice9,97438.22
1955 general electionActon20,64550.61
1955 general electionBirmingham Perry Barr18,73251.01
1955 general electionEccles25,35152.41
1955 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West25,40155.71
1955 general electionNottingham North26,55255.41
1955 general electionSheffield Attercliffe33,07171.01
1955 general electionSouth East Derbyshire25,62051.61
1955 general electionSouth Northamptonshire17,33944.72
1955 general electionThe Hartlepools25,14551.61
1955 general electionThe Wrekin18,54149.42
1955 general electionWestbury16,29537.82
1958 by-electionSt Helens26,40564.71
1959 general electionActon18,43848.82
1959 general electionBirmingham Perry Barr16,81142.61
1959 general electionDarlington19,90139.72
1959 general electionEccles25,56652.01
1959 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West28,95654.81
1959 general electionSt Helens35,96162.11
1959 general electionSheffield Attercliffe33,67668.81
1959 general electionSouth East Derbyshire25,36245.52
1959 general electionThe Hartlepools25,28149.82
1964 general electionBirmingham Perry Barr18,15649.52
1964 general electionCarlisle19,16945.61
1964 general electionGlasgow Springburn16,82865.31
1964 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne West29,60358.31
1964 general electionSt Helens34,13767.01
1964 general electionSheffield Attercliffe30,31866.81
1964 general electionSunderland South25,90051.61
1966 general electionCarlton24,58939.22
1966 general electionCarlisle22,56556.11
1966 general electionGlasgow Central11,67374.81
1966 general electionGlasgow Springburn15,99867.81
1966 general electionNottingham South24,58050.31
1966 general electionSt Helens33,32570.81
1966 general electionSheffield Attercliffe32,33677.31
1966 general electionSunderland South27,56757.51
1970 general electionCarlisle21,86653.21
1970 general electionGlasgow Central7,93666.01
1970 general electionGlasgow Springburn14,96864.31
1970 general electionNottingham South23,03146.32
1970 general electionSt Helens31,58765.71
1970 general electionSunderland South26,84056.41
Feb 1974 general electionCarlisle23,11955.21
Feb 1974 general electionExeter17,68631.22
Feb 1974 general electionGlasgow Central9,40058.71
Feb 1974 general electionGlasgow Springburn18,06753.71
Feb 1974 general electionSt Helens32,62159.01
Feb 1974 general electionSunderland South28,29649.61
Feb 1974 general electionWest Bromwich East21,89552.81
Oct 1974 general electionCarlisle21,07951.21
Oct 1974 general electionGlasgow Central9,23163.61
Oct 1974 general electionGlasgow Springburn17,44454.61
Oct 1974 general electionSt Helens32,62064.11
Oct 1974 general electionSunderland South28,62355.01
Oct 1974 general electionWest Bromwich East19,94250.51
1976 by-electionNewcastle upon Tyne Central4,69247.61
1979 general electionCarlisle21,34349.71
1979 general electionDerby North28,79744.91
1979 general electionEdinburgh Central12,19147.91
1979 general electionGlasgow Central8,54272.51
1979 general electionHolborn and St Pancras South12,02649.31
1979 general electionHuddersfield West16,99640.62
1979 general electionIslington North12,31752.61
1979 general electionNewcastle upon Tyne Central10,39567.31
1979 general electionSt Helens32,48959.61
1979 general electionSunderland South29,40353.11
1979 general electionSwansea East31,90969.91
1979 general electionWest Bromwich East19,27947.01
1979 general electionWest Lothian36,71354.91
1983 general electionCarlisle15,61837.51
1983 general electionCrewe and Nantwich22,03141.11
1983 general electionDerby North18,79736.82
1983 general electionGlasgow Garscadden19,63556.21
1983 general electionHolborn and St Pancras20,48647.51
1983 general electionLinlithgow19,69445.11
1983 general electionLivingston14,25537.71
1983 general electionSunderland South22,86945.71
1983 general electionSwansea East22,29754.41
1983 general electionTyne Bridge21,12756.51
1983 general electionWest Bromwich East15,89438.11
1983 general electionWrexham16,12034.31
1987 general electionCrewe and Nantwich25,45744.01
1987 general electionDerby North20,23637.22
1987 general electionGlasgow Garscadden18,92064.41
1987 general electionHolborn and St Pancras22,96650.61
1987 general electionLinlithgow21,86947.41
1987 general electionLivingston19,11045.61
1987 general electionSwansea East27,47863.71
1987 general electionWest Bromwich East18,16242.61
1987 general electionWrexham22,14443.91

Leadership

General Secretaries

Presidents