National Association of Co-operative Officials
The National Association of Co-operative Officials (NACO) was a trade union for staff in the co-operative sector in the United Kingdom, principally the Co-operative Group and other retail societies, Co-operatives UK and the Co-operative Party.
 | |
| Full name | National Association of Co-operative Officials |
|---|---|
| Motto | The Co-operative Trade Union |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Date dissolved | 1 May 2018 |
| Merged into | Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers |
| Members | 2,500 |
| Journal | The Co-operative Official |
| Affiliation | TUC, STUC |
| Key people | Bob Lister, Interim General Secretary |
| Office location | 6a Clarendon Place, Hyde, Greater Manchester, England |
| Country | United Kingdom |
History
The union was founded in 1917, as the National Union of Co-operative Officials. In 1970, it merged with the National Co-operative Managers Association, and with the Co-operative Secretaries Association, adopting its current name.[1]
NACO historically represented professionals and management in the sector, with general unions, principally the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), recruiting among shop-floor and administrative workers. In the 2010s, NACO began, with the support of Co-operatives UK, to widen its base and end the division between 'officials' and 'administrators'. By 2017, it represented managers at the Co-operative Group, Central England Co-operative, Channel Islands Co-operative, Chelmsford Star Co-operative, East of England Co-operative, Heart of England Co-operative, Lincolnshire Co-operative, Midcounties Co-operative, Scotmid and Southern Co-operative.[2]
By 2017, membership of the union had fallen, leaving it concerned about its ability to continue as an independent organisation. As a result, it entered into discussions with USDAW about merging into that union's Supervisory, Administrative and Technical Association.[2] In February 2018, 82% of NACO members voted for the merger, which was completed in May.[3]
General Secretaries
- 1917: E. Emery
- 1920s: Robert Simpson
- 1942: Robert Calderwood
- 1952: Arthur Potts
- 1977: Lindsay Ewing
- 2006: Neil Buist
- 2015: Bob Lister (interim)
External links
References
- Arthur Ivor Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, p.128
- Harvey, Rebecca (6 July 2017). "Co-operative trade union starts talks to merge with retail union". Co-op News. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- "Co-operative trade union NACO has agreed to transfer into Usdaw". Usdaw. Retrieved 13 March 2018.