45-571: Congress House is the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a British organisation that represents most of the UK's trade unions . It is also an events venue, Congress Centre. In 1948, David du Roi Aberdeen won an architectural competition to design the new TUC headquarters building in Great Russell Street, London . Staff began to move into the offices in 1956. Congress House
90-651: A more centralised trade union structure that would enable a more militant approach to be taken to fighting the employer and even achieving the socialist transformation of society. The result was the General Federation of Trade Unions which was formed in 1899. For some years it was unclear which body (the GFTU or the TUC) would emerge as the national trade union centre for the UK and for a while both were recognised as such by different fraternal organisations in other countries. However, it
135-595: A motion "calling for a special conference to establish a voice for working people within parliament. Within the year the conference had been held and the Labour Representation Committee established (the forerunner of the Labour Party)." The major TUC affiliated unions still make up the great bulk of the British Labour Party affiliated membership, but there is no formal/organisational link between
180-630: A new system. The Parliamentary Committee became the General Council, representing thirty groups of workers. The General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress became chief permanent officer of the TUC, and a major figure in the British trade union movement. The system was successfully implemented by Fred Bramley and Walter Citrine . By 1927 the TUC had the making of a trade union bureaucracy similar to
225-798: A televised debate. In August 2022, the TUC declared its support for a £15 an hour minimum wage. 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 collection on British industrial relations, as well as archives relating to many other aspects of British social, political and economic history. The BP corporate archive
270-647: A wide range of issues relating to the experience of people at work. The TUC succeeded in forcing Sports Direct to undergo an independent review into their treatment of workers in September 2016. In October 2016, the TUC's campaign against the Trade Union Act 2016 won 'Best Public Affairs Campaign' at the PR Week Awards. In August 2022, the TUC declared its support for a £15 an hour minimum wage, which it says should be implemented "as soon as possible". The TUC
315-537: Is a national trade union centre , a federation of trade unions that collectively represent most unionised workers in England and Wales . There are 48 affiliated unions with a total of about 5.5 million members. Paul Nowak is the TUC's current General Secretary, serving from January 2023. The TUC's decision-making body is the Annual Congress, which takes place in September. Between congresses decisions are made by
360-481: Is located next to the MRC, but has separate staff and facilities. The Modern Records Centre holds by far the largest collection of archives of British trade unions in the country. The largest collection held in the centre is the archive of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Other significant collections of archives relating to British trade unions include: Significant collections relating to trade union federations include
405-579: Is not affiliated with the Labour Party . At election time the TUC cannot endorse a particular party by name. However it can point to policies that it believes would be positive for workers' rights , or to social cohesion and community welfare. It can also politically campaign against policies that it believes would be injurious to workers. The TUC also runs the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum and annual Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally commemorating
450-999: The Alcan Foils Wembley Factory trade union committees, the British Leyland Trade Union Committee, Coventry Chain Shop Stewards' Committee, Coventry Trades Council , the GCHQ Trade Union Campaign Committee , and the London Transport Aldenham Bus Overhaul Works trade union committees. The centre also holds significant collections relating to leaders of trade unions, including: Large collections of papers of more junior trade unionists include: The Modern Records Centre holds some collections of archives relating to joint employer/employee industrial relations negotiating committees. Significant among these are
495-934: The Bristol Unity Players' Club , the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers' Associations , the Commercial Vehicle and Road Transport Club , the Low Pay Commission , the Royal Commission on Legal Services , the Royal Commission on the National Health Service , the Social Workers' Benevolent Trust , the Social Workers' Educational Trust , the Society for the Study of Labour History , and
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#1732851805804540-772: The British Association for Commercial and Industrial Education , the British Institute of Management , the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference , the Institute of Administrative Management , the Institute of Management Services , and the Institute of Personnel Management . One of the collecting specialities of the Modern Records Centre is Trotskyist politics. Significant collections of papers relating to Trotskyist organisations include Bookmarks Publications ,
585-736: The British Steel Corporation , Victor Gollancz Ltd , Wallpaper Manufacturers Ltd , and J. Parnell & Son Ltd, builders, of Rugby. The centre also holds the archives of the Transport Development Group and of Arthur Primrose Young , manager of the Rugby works of the British Thomson-Houston Company . The Modern Records Centre holds a growing collection of the archives of professional associations, especially those associated with social work. Major collections in
630-736: The British Universities Industrial Relations Association , Incomes Data Services and Industrial Relations Research Unit are also held. The Modern Records Centre also collects archives of employers' associations and trade associations . The largest of these are the archives of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and its predecessor, the Federation of British Industries (FBI). Other major association employers' and trade association collections include: Archives of related organisations include those of
675-518: The Confederation of Employee Organisations , the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions , the Council of Civil Service Unions , the Federation of Post Office Supervising Officers , the General Federation of Trade Unions , the National Federation of Construction Unions (formerly the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives ), the National Federation of Professional Workers ,
720-683: The Council for the Preservation of Rural England , and Dame Eileen Younghusband , social worker. The Modern Records Centre holds some archives relating to business, especially the motor industry. Archives relating to the motor industry include Jensen Motors , the Rover Company , Rubery Owen , the Standard Motor Company , and the Triumph Engineering Company . Archives relating to other firms include Birmingham Small Arms ,
765-518: The Cyclists' Touring Club , and the National Cyclists' Union , as well as archives of many other cycling organisations and clubs, manufacturers of bicycles and accessories, and individuals connected with cycling, such as Eric Claxton , Tony Hadland , Alex Josey , Derek Roberts and Frank Rowland Whitt . A significant collection of material relating to operational research includes the archives of
810-642: The Dollar Exports Council , India, Pakistan and Burma Association , Iron and Steel Board and Trade Board (Employers') Consultative Council , as well as those of Richard Wood, an official of the Construction Industry Training Board and the National Federation of Building Trades Employers. A second part of the Modern Records Centre's collecting base is the archives of pressure and campaigning groups. Significant among these are
855-544: The General Council , which meets every two months. An Executive Committee is elected by the Council from its members. Affiliated unions can send delegates to Congress with the number of delegates they can send proportionate to their size. Each year Congress elects a President of the Trades Union Congress , who carries out the office for the remainder of the year and then presides over the following year's conference. The TUC
900-1271: The Inland Revenue Departmental Whitley Council , the Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry , the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board (LACSAB), the National Joint Council for the Engineering Construction Industry , the National Maritime Board , and the National Whitley Council for the Civil Service . Papers of various academics and/or conciliators concerned with industrial relations include those of Sir George Bain , William Brown , Colleen Chesterman , Hugh Clegg , Bob Fryer , Geoffrey Goodman , Richard Hyman , Grigor McClelland , Arthur Marsh , Sir Jack Scamp , and Bert Turner . Archives of
945-1001: The International Marxist Group , the International Socialism Group , the Militant tendency , the Revolutionary Socialist League , the Socialist Party , Socialist Reproduction , the Socialist Vanguard Group , and the Spartacist League . Papers of individuals associated with Trotskyist organisations include those of Chris Bambery , Colin Barker , Alan Clinton , Jimmy Deane , Reg Groves , Alistair Mutch , Geoff Pugh , Bob Purdie , Tony Whelan , and Harry Wicks . The centre also holds
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#1732851805804990-772: The National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design , the National Council for Technological Awards , REPLAN , the Society for Research into Higher Education , and the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning . The Modern Records Centre holds the National Cycle Archive, the principal archive covering all aspects of cycling history in the United Kingdom. This includes the archives of the Auto-Cycle Union ,
1035-735: The National Joint Committee of Postal and Telegraph Associations , the Post Office Engineering Federation , and the Printing and Kindred Trades Federation . International trade union federations are represented by major collections of the International Transport Workers' Federation and the World Federation of Scientific Workers . Collections relating to joint trade union committees include those of
1080-814: The Tolpuddle Martyrs and their impact on trade unionism. The TUC Library preserves documents related to labour history in Britain and other countries, especially Europe and the Commonwealth . It was established in 1922 and now focuses on expanding the online and digital collections. The TUC archives are held at the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick Library. The archive contains files from about 1920 up to 2000 consisting of correspondence, internal and external documents, minutes, reports, printed material and press statements. The TUC campaigns on
1125-779: The "General Staff of the Labour Movement" it incorporated the Trades Councils who had given birth to it, eventually becoming the body which authorised these local arms of the TUC to speak on behalf of the wider Trade Union Movement at local and County level. Also, as the TUC became increasingly bureaucratised, the Trades Councils (often led by militant and communist-influenced lay activists) found themselves being subject to political restrictions and purges (particularly during various anti-communist witch-hunts) and to having their role downplayed and marginalised. In some areas (especially in London and
1170-630: The Modern Records Centre is in archives concerned with education. As well as the archives of the teachers' trade unions, the Centre holds significant archive collections of the Association of Technical Institutions , the Committee of Directors of Polytechnics , the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals , the Council for National Academic Awards , the Joint University Council for Social Studies ,
1215-482: The Operational Research Branches of British Coal and the British Overseas Airways Corporation , the Department of Operational Research of the British Steel Corporation , the Institute for Operational Research , the International Federation of Operational Research Societies , the Local Government Operational Research Unit , and the Operational Research Society , as well as the papers of prominent operational researchers Ken Bowen and Stephen Cook . The Centre holds
1260-513: The South East) the Regional Councils of the TUC (dominated by paid officials of the unions) effectively took over the role of the County Associations of Trades Councils and these paid officials replaced elected lay-members as the spokespersons for the Trade Union Movement at County and Regional level. By the end of the 20th century local Trades Councils and County Associations of Trades Councils had become so ineffective and weak that many had simply faded into effective dissolution. The 1899 Congress saw
1305-416: The TUC and the party. The Scottish Trades Union Congress , which was formed in 1897, is a separate and autonomous organisation. The Parliamentary Committee grew slowly, confining itself to legal matters, and ignored industrial disputes. In 1916 Harry Gosling proposed that organised labour needed an administrative machine. Following the railway strike of 1919, Ernest Bevin and G. D. H. Cole proposed
1350-528: The archives of the: Papers of individuals associated with campaigning and pressure groups include those of Marjory Allen, Lady Allen of Hurtwood , landscape architect, campaigner for pre-school education and child welfare, Sir Ernest Benn , publisher, libertarian and individualist, Mary Brennan , peace activist and prominent member of CND, William Driscoll , chief training officer of the Economic League, Sir Victor Gollancz , publisher and activist, Sir Leslie Scott , Conservative MP, judge and prominent member of
1395-406: The civil service. During the First World War, the Trades Union Congress generally supported the aims of the British Empire. However, in 1915, national conference voted against the introduction of military conscription. The TUC played a major role in the General Strike of 1926 , and became increasingly affiliated with the Labour Party in the 1930s, securing seven of the thirteen available seats on
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1440-416: The latter area include the Association of Child Care Officers , the Association of Social Workers , the British Association of Social Workers , the Institute of Medical Social Workers , the National Association of Social Workers in Education , and the National Institute for Social Work . Other professional associations with significant representation are the Association of Teachers of Domestic Science ,
1485-416: The local trade union activists. The TUC leadership subsequently tried to distort the result of the survey to justify its own opposition toward unauthorised marches. In 1945, the World Trade Union Conference took place in February at County Hall, London , before the first World Trade Union Congress was convened in Paris, October of the same year. In 1958, the TUC's current headquarters, Congress House ,
1530-411: The most prominent union leaders of the day) was taking a dominant role in speaking for the Trade Union Movement as a whole. The second TUC meeting took place in 1869 at the Oddfellows Hall, Temple Street, Birmingham where delegates discussed the eight-hour working day, election of working people to Parliament and the issue of free education. Arising out of the 1897 Congress, a decision was taken to form
1575-437: The newly created National Council of Labour in 1934. The TUC pressured the Labour Party into rejecting Ramsay MacDonald 's National Government formed to implement spending cuts, and no major trade unions joined his breakaway National Labour Organisation . A TUC survey of local trades councils who were approached by unemployed marchers for support in 1936 shows widespread support for unemployed workers' protest marches among
1620-402: The organisational archives of the University of Warwick itself and also Coventry College of Education , which amalgamated with it in 1971. It also holds the papers of some individuals connected with the university, notably the sociologists Gillian Rose and Meg Stacey , and Sir Arthur Vick , who was the university's chairman of council and pro-chancellor. Other significant collections include
1665-433: The papers of several Labour Members of Parliament: Richard Crossman , Maurice Edelman , Terry Fields , William Hamling , Pat Wall , and William Wilson . Other political holdings include the papers of former general secretary of the Labour Party Jim Mortimer , Conservative MP Derek Coombs , National Front activist Wayne Ashcroft , and the Warwick and Leamington Constituency Labour Party. A further specialisation of
1710-469: The public as a competition, which David Du R Aberdeen won. From 1979 to the end of the 20th century, the TUC's membership declined from about 12 million to about 6.6 million. This took place during and after the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher , among other contributing factors. Frances O'Grady became elected to be the leader of the TUC in 2012. The TUC endorsed a remain vote at the 2016 European Union membership referendum , and O'Grady participated in
1755-659: The rear of the building was carried out, creating a new entrance, reception, offices and staff facilities. Known as 'The Rookery', the new development includes a public artwork by German artist Eva Berendes inspired by traditional trade union badges. [REDACTED] Media related to Congress House, Great Russell Street, London at Wikimedia Commons 51°31′03″N 0°07′43″W / 51.51744°N 0.1285°W / 51.51744; -0.1285 Trades Union Congress Social democracy Socialism Communism Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Other The Trades Union Congress ( TUC )
1800-436: The strong helping the weak. The main facing material of the façade is polished grey Cornish granite . Congress House was one of the earliest post-war buildings to be listed , at Grade II*, in 1988. In 2015, an ETFE roof was installed over the internal courtyard which enabled the glass roof of the conference centre below to be reinstated and affords protection to the Epstein statue. In 2018, an extensive redevelopment of
1845-413: Was built. It was proposed at the 1944 Congress in Blackpool as a tribute to the lives of trade unionists that were lost in World War II . The idea was quickly expanded on to include conference and meeting facilities now known as Congress Centre. The building was also seen as an opportunity to raise interest in arts and culture, architecture in particular and the chance to design the building was left open to
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1890-428: Was founded in the 1860s. The United Kingdom Alliance of Organised Trades , founded in Sheffield , Yorkshire, in 1866, was the immediate forerunner of the TUC, although efforts to expand local unions into regional or national organisations date back at least forty years earlier; in 1822, John Gast formed a "Committee of the Useful Classes", sometimes described as an early national trades council. The first TUC meeting
1935-472: Was held in 1868 when the Manchester and Salford Trades Council convened the founding meeting in the Manchester Mechanics' Institute (on what is now Princess Street and was then David Street; the building is at no. 103). The fact that the TUC was formed by Northern Trades Councils was not coincidental. One of the issues which prompted this initiative was the perception that the London Trades Council (formed in 1860 and including, because of its location, many of
1980-401: Was officially opened on 27 March 1958 along with the unveiling of a giant pietà -style statue of a woman holding her dead son. Carved in place in the internal courtyard by Jacob Epstein , it was intended as a memorial to the dead trade unionists of both world wars. The front of the building is dominated by a bronze sculpture by Bernard Meadows representing the spirit of trade unionism with
2025-432: Was soon agreed among the major unions that the TUC should take the leading role and that this would be the central body of the organised Labour Movement in the UK. The GFTU continued in existence and remains to this day as a federation of (smaller, often craft-based) trade unions providing common services and facilities to its members (especially education and training services). As the TUC expanded and formalised its role as
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