Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union

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BFAWU
Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union
BFAWU logo.png
Founded1847
HeadquartersStanborough House, Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City
Location
Members
5,137 (1907)[1]
17,007 (2019)[2]
Key people
Sarah Woolley, General Secretary
AffiliationsTUC, , ICTU, Labour Party[3]
Websitewww.bfawu.org

The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1847 in Manchester, it represents workers in the food industry.

History[]

The union dates its origin to 1847. The Manchester Friendly Association of Operative Bakers was established in 1849, and by 1854 it was led by Thomas Hodson. Under his leadership, the union first expanded to represent bakers in Salford, becoming the first bakers' union in England to cover a wide area, though its membership remainder under 200. In 1861, Hodson led the formation of the Amalgamated Union of Operative Bakers, bringing together unions in Bristol, Cheltenham, Hanley, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Warrington and Wigan, along with his Manchester society. It gained prominence when its 1861 campaign for improvements in working conditions led to the . In about 1870, the union relocated its headquarters to London, but the majority of its members were still from Lancashire. Other unions gradually joined, such as the South Wales Federation of Journeymen Bakers, in 1893. By 1891, the union claimed 4,000 members, with nearly half from London.[4]

For many years, the union would not admit workers it considered unskilled, and this led its London organiser, C. Mann, to form the rival National Union of Bakery Trade Workers in 1913. The following year, the Operative Bakers finally agreed to accept all workers in the industry, renaming itself as the Amalgamated Union of Operative Bakers, Confectioners and Allied Workers of Great Britain and Ireland, and Mann's split dissolved. In 1920, the union agreed to transfer its members in the milling industry to the rival .[4]

The union focused its campaigns on shorter working hours, better pay and working conditions. In 1919, it led a major strike against night work, but this was unsuccessful. It recruited well in co-operative bakeries, but struggled elsewhere, until World War II. In 1935, it barred master bakers from holding office in the union.[4]

The union became more centralised in the 1950s, and in 1964, it shortened its name to become the Bakers' Union. This was later lengthened to the present name.[4]

In July 2015, the BFAWU endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[5]

In 2017, BFAWU members staged the first strikes at McDonald's in the UK.[6]

During the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, the union backed Rebecca Long-Bailey. They also backed Richard Burgon for deputy leader.[7]

In November 2020, the union announced that it plans to consult members on whether to remain affiliated with the Labour Party following the suspension of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn.[8]

Election results[]

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections, winning twice.[9][10]

Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position
1922 general election Fulham West Robert Mark Gentry 8,210 35.6 2
1932 by-election Wednesbury William Banfield 21,977 54.7 1
1935 general election Wednesbury William Banfield 22,683 53.3 1

Leadership[]

General Secretaries[]

1864: Thomas Hodson
1883: John Jenkins
1915: John William Banfield
1940: Joseph Thomasson
1952: Jock Halliday
1968: Stanley Gretton
1975: Sam Maddox
1979: Joe Marino
2010: Ronnie Draper[11]
2020: Sarah Woolley

Presidents[]

1910: A. F. Bentley
1914: J. H. Brown
1926: T. Ferris
1927: H. Keen
1946: Ernest Haynes
1969: Chris Childs
1977: Terry O'Neill
1995: Dennis Nash
c.2000: Ronnie Draper
2010: Ian Hodson

References[]

  1. ^ Report on Trade Unions in 1905-1907. London: Board of Trade. 1909. pp. 82–101.
  2. ^ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/901226/55T_2019.pdf
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2012-02-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.5, pp.152-198
  5. ^ Syal, Rajeev (5 July 2015). "Jeremy Corbyn gets backing of Unite in Labour leadership race". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  6. ^ Kollewe, Julia; Slawson, Nicola (September 4, 2017). "McDonald's workers to go on strike in Britain for first time" – via www.theguardian.com.
  7. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (17 January 2020). "Left-wing bakers' union nominates Long-Bailey and Burgon". LabourList. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  8. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (20 November 2020). "Bakers' Union plans to consult members on staying affiliated to Labour". LabourList. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  9. ^ Parker, James (2017). Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940 (PDF). Exeter: University of Exeter. p. 125.
  10. ^ Labour Party, Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-272
  11. ^ "Ronnie Draper is elected General Secretary" (PDF). Autumn 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2011.

Further reading[]

  • Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions

External links[]


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