Postmen's Federation

The Postmen's Federation was a trade union representing postal workers in the United Kingdom.

Postmen's Federation
Founded1891
PredecessorPostmen's Union
Date dissolved1919
Merged intoUnion of Post Office Workers
Members31,000 (1906)
AffiliationTUC, Labour
Key peopleGeorge Harold Stuart
Office locationParliament Mansions, Victoria Street, London
CountryUnited Kingdom

In 1889, a "Postmen's Union" was founded in Clerkenwell by Tom Dredge and John Lincoln Mahon. This dissolved after many of its members were sacked, but two years later, C. Churchfield established the "Postmen's Federation" as a more cautious organisation. It immediately recruited 3,721 members, and survived, offering welfare benefits to members from 1895 and publishing The Postmen's Gazette.[1]

By 1901, the union was becoming more confident, and felt able to affiliate to the Trades Union Congress and the Labour Representation Committee. Membership was over 31,000 by 1906.[1]

In 1912, George Harold Stuart was elected as general secretary; Duncan Campbell-Smith describes him as the "single most impressive officer among all the postal union staffs". Under his leadership, the union began admitting women. It negotiated a merger with the Fawcett Association and the Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association in 1919, forming the Union of Post Office Workers.[2]

General Secretaries
1891: Charles Churchfield
1901: Alexander MacLaren
1910: T. Robinson
1912: George Harold Stuart

References
  1. Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.1, pp.175-176
  2. Duncan Campbell-Smith, Masters of the Post: The Authorized History of the Royal Mail
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