Post Office Engineering Union

The Post Office Engineering Union (POEU) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. It represented engineering staff in the Post Office, mostly working in telecommunications.[1]

POEU

Full name	Post Office Engineering Union
Founded	1915
Date dissolved	1985
Merged into	National Communications Union
Members	130,000 (1983)
Journal	POEU Journal
Affiliation	TUC, PTTI
Office location	Greystoke House, Brunswick Road, London
Country	United Kingdom

History

The union was founded in 1915 when the Post Office Engineering and Stores Association and the Amalgamated Society of Telephone Employees merged, to form the Post Office Amalgamated Engineering and Stores Association.[2] In 1922, following the establishment of the Irish Free State, the union's Irish section split away to form the Irish Post Office Engineering Union.[3] In 1925, the Post Office Telegraph Mechanicians' Society joined the union.[4] However, by 1939, membership was only 39,000.[1]

By 1983, the POEU was the twentieth largest union in the UK, with membership around 130,000.[1] In 1985, it merged with the Postal and Telecommunications Group of the Civil and Public Services Association, forming the National Communications Union.[4]

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election from 1966 onwards.

Election	Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position
1966 general election	Isle of Ely	Graham Nurse	19,566	43.8	2[5]
1969 by-election	Newcastle-under-Lyme	John Golding	21,786	46.1	1
1970 general election	Colchester	John Bartlett	20,325	35.0	2[6]
	Mitcham	Reginald Vincent	22,047	44.2	2[6]
	Newcastle-under-Lyme	John Golding	22,329	48.9	1[6]
1973 by-election	Westhoughton	Roger Stott	26,294	57.0	1
Feb 1974 general election	Edinburgh Pentlands	John McWilliam	13,560	30.8	2[7]
	Newcastle-under-Lyme	John Golding	28,603	47.2	1[7]
	Westhoughton	Roger Stott	30,574	51.5	1[7]
Oct 1974 general election	Newcastle-under-Lyme	John Golding	28,154	49.6	1[8]
	Westhoughton	Roger Stott	30,373	54.1	1[8]
1979 general election	Bexleyheath	Richard Blackwell	13,342	32.7	2[9]
	Blaydon	John McWilliam	24,687	53.4	1[9]
	Newcastle-under-Lyme	John Golding	28,649	48.5	1[9]
	Westhoughton	Roger Stott	29,685	48.2	1[9]
1983 general election	Blaydon	John McWilliam	21,285	44.4	1
	Newcastle-under-Lyme	John Golding	21,210	42.0	1
	Wigan	Roger Stott	29,859	54.6	1

Leadership

General Secretaries

1915: Charles Howard Smith

1938: John Edwards

1947: Douglas Coward

1953: Charles Delacourt-Smith

1972: Bryan Stanley

Presidents

1915: E. W. Bennett

1921: H. A. Barclay

1924: E. W. Goodwin

1926: H. G. Hill

1933: C. T. Saunders

1934: E. W. Goodwin

1935: C. J. Connelly

1936: A. V. Games

1939: Ernie Power

1951: W. J. A. Hughes

1952: L. G. Fox

1955: W. J. Jones

1956: Stan Rosser

1970: John Scott-Garner

References

1. Clark, Jon; McLoughlin, Ian; Rose, Howard; King, Robin (1988). Clark, Jon (ed.). The Process of Technological Change: New technology and social choice in the workplace. Cambridge Studies in Management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 63. ISBN 0-521-38698-5. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
2. London Metropolitan University (London North campus): Post Office Engineering Union, AIM25.
3. John P. Smethurst and Peter Carter, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, p. 456.
4. Post Office Engineering Union Research Department 1887-1994
5. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 158–180.
6. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 289–312.
7. Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 371–390.
8. Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 391–411.
9. Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 371–390.

External links

• Catalogue of the POEU archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
• Catalogue of the POESA archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick