Transport Salaried Staffs' Association

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TSSA
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
TSSA logo.png
Founded1897
Headquarters2nd Floor, 17 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4SQ
Location
  • United Kingdom, Ireland
Members
17,856[1]
Key people
, president
Manuel Cortes, general secretary
AffiliationsTUC, ICTU, STUC, CSEU, ETF, Labour Party[2]
Websitewww.tssa.org.uk

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is a trade union for workers in the transport and travel industries in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its head office is in London, and it has regional offices in Bristol, Derby, Dublin, Manchester, York and Glasgow.

TSSA has approximately 17,856 members in the UK and Ireland.[1] While principally a union for people in the railway industry, the effect of the nationalisation and subsequent privatisations following the Second World War has meant that it has members working for railway companies, shipping companies, bus companies, travel agencies, airlines, call centres, and IT companies.

Organisation[]

TSSA's former headquarters in London

Individual members are allocated to branches. Historically branches were organised geographically and by grade, e.g. Liverpool; Dublin No. 1; Crewe No. 4 Technical; Crewe Management Staffs (the separate branches for different grades of staff were so that people with grievances against their managers wouldn't find those same managers as members of their branch). In Ireland, branches are still organised on this basis, but in the UK starting in 1998 there was a reorganisation such that members of most branches are employed by a single company e.g. Virgin Midlands - this was required in the fragmented world of the privatised railway because the private companies would not allow access for non-employees onto their premises.

Branches are in turn allocated to divisions - there are 14 geographical divisions, plus one for London Transport. Each division has a Divisional Council which meets at least twice a year, and members in each division elect a member of the Executive Committee (EC). EC members are elected for a three-year term, subject to a maximum of two consecutive terms of office (but can stand again after 3 years off the committee). The Executive Committee meets approximately ten times a year in London and continuously during the four-day annual conference held each May. The EC is responsible for the efficient running of the union, the employment of staff (of whom there are about 70), the oversight of the union's finances, and the implementation of decisions of Annual Conference.

The Annual Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the union. Each branch may send one delegate to the Conference, unless a branch has more than 200 members, in which case it has two delegates. Each branch can submit two motions and two amendments to motions to the Conference Agenda, and once every five years can submit two amendments to the union's Rule Book.

Organisation in Ireland is slightly different. The whole of Ireland forms one Division. As trade union law in the Republic of Ireland forbids trade unions being run by people not resident on the island of Ireland, the EC and Annual Conference cannot directly control the association's activity in the republic as they do in Britain. Instead, the Irish Divisional Council is constituted as the Irish Committee and chaired by the EC member for Ireland, and it operates in a similar manner to the EC. There is a biennial Irish Conference of delegates from all the Irish branches, to set policy solely relating to Ireland. When Irish branches want the Annual Conference to do something, motions to Annual Conference are normally phrased as 'requests' that the Irish Committee consider doing something rather than as the more normal 'instructions' that the Executive Committee do something.

History[]

The union was founded in Sheffield in 1897 as the National Association of General Railway Clerks, although it was a narrow decision to found the union. The railway companies were strongly opposed to trade unions and two earlier attempts to form a clerks' union had failed and, discouraged, the organisers decided by a majority of only one vote to try a third time - this time successfully. In 1899 it was renamed the Railway Clerks' Association (RCA), and in 1951 it adopted its current name.[3]

The early years were difficult. The third General Secretary, John Stopford-Challener, shot himself in Paris's Bois de Boulogne in 1906; it was only after his suicide that it was discovered that he had absconded with the union's money. After this came the era of A.G. Walkden, who as General Secretary for 30 years led the union to the peak of its influence; the head office in London, built in the early 1960s, was named after him. The railway companies refused to recognise the trade unions until after the strike of 1919, but after that time membership rose steadily, to a peak of some 91,500 in the early 1950s. The subsequent closure of uneconomic railway lines, the Beeching axe, and especially the computerisation of railway offices led to large scale reductions in the eligible membership. Membership was around 75,000 in 1970, 71,000 in 1980, and 39,000 in 1990. There was a rapid loss of around 25% of its membership in the mid to late 1990s because the grades of staff covered by the union were the ones hardest hit when British Rail was broken up from 1994 onwards; however the Executive Committee adopted a policy of seeking to vigorously recruit additional members particularly in those areas such as travel agencies which had not been the principal focus of the union in the past. This has led to more stable membership figures, including a small increase at the turn of the century.[4]

The union has been involved in at least one London Underground strike, between 6 and 7 September 2010.[5]

In July 2015, TSSA endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[6] TSSA , Sam Tarry spearheaded Corbyn's second leadership campaign.[7]

In 2018, preparatory work for the HS2 railway meant that the TSSA had to vacate its head office since the 1960s, at Walkden House in Melton Street, adjacent to London's Euston Station, and moved to a new head office in Devonshire Square, near Liverpool Street Station.

Election results[]

From 1918 until 1992, the union sponsored a large number of Labour Party candidates, many of whom won election.

Election Constituency Candidate Votes % share Position
1918 general election Enfield William E. Hill 6,176 37.5 2[8]
Manchester Blackley Arnold Townend 3,659 25.0 2[8]
St Pancras South East Herbert Romeril 2,189 16.9 4[8]
Watford George Lathan 4,952 25.4 2[8]
Wolverhampton West Alexander Walkden 10,158 42.2 2[8]
York Thomas Harry Gill 4,822 18.0 3[8]
1922 by-election Wolverhampton West Alexander Walkden 13,799 45.1 2[9]
1922 general election Bolton Samuel Lomax 20,559 16.1 3[10]
Cirencester and Tewkesbury William Robert Robins 9,195 35.8 2[10]
Enfield George Lathan 9,820 45.6 2[10]
High Peak Frank Anderson 7,698 27.1 2[10]
Manchester Blackley Arnold Townend 5,580 26.8 3[10]
St Pancras South East Herbert Romeril 5,609 30.5 2[10]
Wolverhampton West Alexander Walkden 15,190 46.1 2[10]
York Thomas Gill 10,106 29.6 2[10]
1923 general election Cirencester and Tewkesbury William Robert Robins 7,849 33.8 2[10]
High Peak Frank Anderson 5,684 20.8 3[10]
St Pancras South East Herbert Romeril 7,866 41.6 1[10]
Sheffield Park George Lathan 9,050 39.4 2[10]
Stockport Arnold Townend 16,340 18.0 5[10]
1924 general election Blackburn Thomas Gill 24,317 21.8 4[11]
Edinburgh West George Mathers 9,603 33.1 2[11]
Forfarshire Charles Gallie 3,736 22.9 3[11]
Heywood and Radcliffe Alexander Walkden 15,307 44.4 2[11]
St Pancras South East Herbert Romeril 10,463 45.5 2[11]
Sheffield Park George Lathan 11,576 45.2 2[11]
Stockport Arnold Townend 21,986 24.8 3[11]
1925 by-election Stockport Arnold Townend 20,219 36.5 1[12]
1929 general election Blackburn Thomas Gill 35,723 25.0 2[13]
Bristol South Alexander Walkden 23,591 56.5 1[13]
Edinburgh West George Mathers 15,795 38.6 1[13]
Forfarshire Charles Gallie 5,257 25.0 3[13]
Hackney Central Frederick Charles Watkins 12,462 37.3 1[13]
St Pancras South East Herbert Romeril 13,173 47.9 1[13]
Sheffield Park George Lathan 20,304 51.4 1[13]
Stockport Arnold Townend 30,955 27.4 1[13]
1931 general election Blackburn Thomas Gill 25,030 16.6 4[14]
Bristol South Alexander Walkden 17,174 39.1 2[14]
Edinburgh West George Mathers 12,704 28.8 2[14]
Hackney Central Fred Watkins 9,295 28.5 2[14]
St Pancras South East Herbert Romeril 8,684 32.1 2[14]
Sheffield Park George Lathan 15,783 37.4 2[14]
Stockport Arnold Townend 23,350 17.0 3[14]
1935 general election Ashton-under-Lyne Fred Simpson 14,140 50.2 1[15]
Battersea South Herbert Romeril 15,821 42.7 2[15]
Bristol South Alexander Walkden 22,586 50.4 1[15]
Carlisle Arnold Townend 13,956 41.0 2[15]
East Ham North Thomas Burden 14,762 49.1 2[15]
Hackney Central Fred Watkins 15,322 51.6 1[15]
Halifax Arthur Longbottom 21,471 39.5 2[15]
Linlithgowshire George Mathers 20,905 54.1 1[15]
Sheffield Park George Lathan 21,153 51.5 1[15]
Whitehaven Frank Anderson 14,794 48.9 1[15]
1936 by-election Clay Cross George Ridley 24,290 75.1 1[16]
1945 general election Hackney Central Henry Hynd 14,810 67.2 1[17]
Kensington North George Rogers 16,838 56.6 1[17]
Linlithgowshire George Mathers 24,762 64.1 1[17]
Liverpool Walton James Haworth 18,385 43.6 1[17]
South East Essex Ray Gunter 25,581 53.8 1[17]
Sowerby John Belcher 17,710 50.8 1[17]
Swansea West Percy Morris 18,098 58.0 1[17]
Wellingborough George Lindgren 22,416 57.7 1[17]
Whitehaven Frank Anderson 18,568 61.1 1[17]
1950 general election Accrington Henry Hynd 23,295 48.8 1[18]
Carlisle Alex Hargreaves 19,031 46.5 1[18]
Doncaster Ray Gunter 24,449 50.9 1[18]
Kensington North George Rogers 21,615 50.7 1[18]
Lanark Tom Steele 19,205 49.1 2[18]
Liverpool Walton James Haworth 21,983 41.4 2[18]
Pudsey Geoffrey Collings 18,205 41.2 2[18]
Rutland and Stamford Tom Bradley 13,712 41.3 2[18]
Stoke on Trent North Albert Davies 36,896 71.6 1[18]
Swansea West Percy Morris 26,273 53.8 1[18]
Wellingborough George Lindgren 21,640 47.1 1[18]
1950 by-election West Dunbartonshire Tom Steele 20,367 50.4 1
1951 general election Accrington Henry Hynd 24,802 52.3 1[19]
Carlisle Alex Hargreaves 19,648 46.8 1[19]
Chelmsford James Haworth 23,775 45.0 2[19]
Doncaster Ray Gunter 24,621 49.6 2[19]
Kensington North George Rogers 22,686 53.0 1[19]
Pudsey Geoffrey Collings 20,782 46.3 2[19]
Rutland and Stamford Tom Bradley 15,127 45.9 2[19]
Stoke on Trent North Albert Davies 36,692 71.4 1[19]
Swansea West Percy Morris 26,061 52.2 1[19]
Wellingborough George Lindgren 24,113 52.4 1[19]
West Dunbartonshire Tom Steele 21,799 51.3 1[19]
1955 general election Accrington Henry Hynd 22,502 51.5 1[20]
Bolton West James Haworth 20,014 44.6 2[20]
Carlisle Alex Hargreaves 19,701 49.5 2[20]
Doncaster Ray Gunter 22,938 48.3 2[20]
Kensington North George Rogers 20,226 53.9 1[20]
Oldham East Charles Mapp 18,805 43.2 2[20]
Rutland and Stamford Tom Bradley 14,856 45.7 2[20]
Swansea West Percy Morris 22,647 51.2 1[20]
Wellingborough George Lindgren 22,745 51.0 1[20]
West Dunbartonshire Tom Steele 21,854 52.3 1[20]
1959 general election Accrington Henry Hynd 22,242 50.7 1[21]
Carlisle Alex Hargreaves 19,950 47.6 2[21]
Kensington North George Rogers 14,925 42.8 1[21]
Oldham East Charles Mapp 19,329 44.4 1[21]
Preston South Tom Bradley 18,935 46.3 2[21]
Southwark Ray Gunter 25,036 64.0 1[21]
Wellingborough George Lindgren 22,358 49.3 2[21]
West Dunbartonshire Tom Steele 22,105 52.5 1[21]
1962 by-election Leicester North East Tom Bradley 11,274 41.5 1
1964 general election Accrington Henry Hynd 20,561 49.7 1[22]
Kensington North George Rogers 15,283 49.5 1[22]
Leicester North East Tom Bradley 15,494 46.4 1[22]
Oldham East Charles Mapp 18,112 45.4 1[22]
Southwark Ray Gunter 22,426 68.8 1[22]
Wellingborough Harry Howarth 19,592 42.3 1[22]
West Dunbartonshire Tom Steele 21,079 50.8 1[22]
1966 general election Kensington North George Rogers 16,012 54.8 1[23]
Leicester North East Tom Bradley 17,007 54.0 1[23]
Southwark Ray Gunter 21,855 73.6 1[23]
Wellingborough Harry Howarth 24,705 52.4 1[23]
West Dunbartonshire Tom Steele 21,636 52.3 1[23]
1970 general election Derby South Walter Johnson 19,407 54.4 1[24]
Leeds South East Stan Cohen 10,930 62.7 1[24]
Leicester North East Tom Bradley 15,016 48.8 1[24]
Southwark Ray Gunter 16,834 67.3 1[24]
Feb 1974 general election Croydon Central Richard Rosser 20,039 38.0 2[25]
Derby South Walter Johnson 26,613 47.4 1[25]
Hendon South Richard Hadley 11,088 27.7 3[25]
Leeds South East Stan Cohen 17,827 53.1 1[25]
Leicester East Tom Bradley 23,474 47.7 1[25]
Oct 1974 general election Derby South Walter Johnson 26,342 51.0 1[26]
Hendon South Richard Hadley 11,903 32.9 2[26]
Leeds South East Stan Cohen 17,160 61.2 1[26]
Leicester East Tom Bradley 20,688 44.8 1[26]
1979 general election Derby South Walter Johnson 26,945 50.0 1[27]
Leeds South East Stan Cohen 15,921 56.3 1[27]
Leicester East Tom Bradley 23,844 46.9 1[27]
1983 general election South Derbyshire Peter Kent 17,296 29.2 2[28]
1987 general election East Lothian John Home Robertson 24,583 48.0 1[29]
Swansea West Alan Williams 22,089 48.5 1[29]
1992 general election East Lothian John Home Robertson 25,537 46.5 1[29]
Swansea West Alan Williams 23,238 53.0 1[29]

Office holders[]

General Secretaries[]

Manuel Cortes, General Secretary since 2011, speaking at the 2016 Labour Party Conference
1897: Charles Bassett-Vincent[30]
1898: John Hereford[30]
1898: F. Parrish (acting)[30]
1899: John Stopford Challener[30]
1906: William J. West (acting)[30]
1906: Alexander Walkden[30]
1936: William Stott[30]
1940: Charles Gallie[30]
1947: Fred Bostock[30]
1948: Percy Heady (acting)[30]
1949: George Thorneycroft[30]
1953: Bill Webber[30]
1963: John Bothwell[30]
1968: Percy Coldrick[30]
1973: David Mackenzie[30]
1977: Tom Bradley (acting)[30]
1977: Tom Jenkins[30]
1982: Bert Lyons[30]
1989: Richard Rosser[30]
2004: Gerry Doherty
2011: Manuel Cortes[31]

Presidents[]

1897: J. Batty Langley[32]
1899: [32]
1900: Fortescue Flannery[32]
1906: William J. West[32]
1908: George Lathan[32]
1912: Herbert Romeril[32]
1916: [32]
1919: Harry Gill[32]
1932: Fred Simpson[32]
1937: Frederick Watkins[32]
1943: Percy Morris[32]
1953: James Haworth[32]
1956: Ray Gunter[32]
1964: Tom Bradley[32]
1977: Walter Johnson[32]
1981: [32]
1987: [32]
1993: [32]
1997: [32]
2001: [32]
2005:
2011: Harriet Yeo
2013:

Treasurers[]

Until 1906 the General Secretary also controlled the unions' funds. John Stopford-Challener's embezzlement proved that this was an unwise arrangement and the office of National Treasurer was then instituted.

1906: J. M. Roberts[33]
1920: W. E. Williams[33]
1927: Arnold Ernest Townend[33]
1934: Frederick Watkins MP[33]
1937: Percy Morris[33]
1943: James Haworth MP[33]
1953: Ray J. Gunter MP[33]
1956: Lord Lindgren[33]
1961: Tom G. Bradley MP[33]
1965: Walter Johnson MP[33]
1977: Jock Newall (acting)[33]
1977: [33]
1981: Stanley Cohen MP[33]
1984: Geoff Henman[33]
1987: Brenda Hanks[33]
1993: Peter Holloway (acting)[33]
1993: David Horton[33]
1997: David Porter[33]
2001: Annie Breen[33]
2004: Amarjit Singh (acting)[33]
2004: Andy Bain[33]
2005: Harriet Yeo[33]
2011: Mick Carney
2013: Andy Bain
2015: Jason Turvey

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/868169/376T_2018.pdf[bare URL]
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Malcolm Wallace (1996). "Birth of the Union". Single or Return. TSSA. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
  4. ^ Malcolm Wallace; Dave Hillam (2003) [1996]. "RCA/TSSA Branches & Membership". Single or Return. TSSA. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
  5. ^ http://www.24dash.com/news/local_government/2010-09-06-safety-row-erupts-as-millions-prepare-for-tube-strike-travel-chaos#.U2UMEEPmZhE Archived 2014-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "TSSA backs Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader and Angela Eagle for deputy". Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  7. ^ Dale, Ian (24 September 2016). "The Top 100 People on the Left List 2016". Ian Dale. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Wallace, Malcolm (1996). Single or return. Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. p. 130.
  9. ^ Wallace, Malcolm (1996). Single or return. Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. pp. 194–195.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wallace, Malcolm (1996). Single or return. Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. pp. 162–165.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Labour's candidates". Manchester Guardian. 11 October 1924.
  12. ^ Wallace, Malcolm (1996). Single or return. Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. p. 165.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "List of Labour Candidates and Election Results, May 30th, 1929". Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 24–44. 1929.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, October 27, 1931". Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 11–27. 1931.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j "List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935". Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 8–23. 1935.
  16. ^ "Parliamentary by-elections". Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference: 38–45. 1937.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 232-248.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k "List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950". Report of the Forty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 179–198. 1950.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k "List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, 25th October, 1951". Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 184–203. 1951.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 255–275.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 179–201.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 158–180.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 308–330.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 289–312.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 371–390.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 391–411.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b c Labour Party, Report of the Seventy-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp. 406–431.
  28. ^ Wallace, Malcolm (1996). Single or return. Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. pp. 445–446.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Wallace, Malcolm (1996). Single or return. Transport Salaried Staffs' Association. p. 470.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Malcolm Wallace; Dave Hillam (2003) [1996]. "General Secretaries of the Association". Single or Return. TSSA. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
  31. ^ "Gibraltarian wins second term at head of UK transport union". Gibraltar Chronicle. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Malcolm Wallace; Dave Hillam (2003) [1996]. "Presidents of the Association". Single or Return. TSSA. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Malcolm Wallace; Dave Hillam (2003) [1996]. "Treasurers of the Association". Single or Return. TSSA. Retrieved 15 December 2007.

External links[]

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