Scottish Union of Bakers and Allied Workers

The Scottish Union of Bakers and Allied Workers was a trade union representing bakers and confectioners in Scotland.

Scottish Union of Bakers and Allied Workers
Founded1888
Date dissolved1978
Merged intoUnion of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Members11,713 (1971)
JournalThe Scottish Baker
AffiliationSTUC, TUC, IUF, Labour Party
Office location5 Burnbank Gardens, Glasgow
CountryScotland

The union was founded in 1888, when it was known as the Operative Bakers' National Federal Union of Scotland. By the following year, it had more than 3,000 members, but a decision to undertake a national strike led many new members to resign. Membership fell below 2,000 before gradually increasing, rising above 5,000 by 1910, and to around 7,500 by 1923.[1]

During World War I, the union changed its name to the Operative Bakers and Confectioners of Scotland National Federal Union, then to the Scottish Union of Bakers and Confectioners in 1923, and to the Scottish Union of Bakers, Confectioners and Bakery Workers in 1927. From 1926, the union accepted women as members, and sought to become an industrial union, including unskilled workers in the industry.[1]

In 1949, the union again changed its name, to the lengthy Scottish Union of Bakers, Confectioners, Biscuit Bakers and Bakery Workers, shortening this in 1955 to the "Scottish Union of Bakers and Allied Workers".[1]

Membership of the union peaked in 1971 at 11,713, but fell below 9,000 as the decade progressed. As a result, it decided to merge into the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers in 1978.[1]

Election results

The union sponsored Norman Hogg, its national organiser, as a Labour Party candidate in a Parliamentary election.[2][3]

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1950 general electionSouth AngusNorman Hogg9,17625.62

General Secretaries
1900s: J. Kerr
1910s: W. G. Hunter
1929: George Laidlaw
1942: Charles Murdoch
1947: John Menzies
1950: William Mowbray
c.1970: Alex Mackie

References
  1. Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.5, pp.184-185
  2. "List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950". Annual Report of the Labour Party: 193. 1950.
  3. Webster, Jack (2007). Jack Webster's Aberdeen. Birlinn. p. 200. ISBN 1841584789.
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