Your history, your union
Chronology of the history of finance
sector trade union activism - if you have any comments or
additional dates to add to this timeline please email Saba
Mozakka.
1913 > The Technical,
Administrative and Supervisory Staffs had its origins in the
Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen. This
Association later became the Draughtsmen and Allied Technicians
Association (DATA) which formed the basis for MSF.
1914 > Engineer Surveyors
Association (ESA) formed on December 4th in Birmingham, with
Mr J.R. Pollock being the first General Secretary. An attempt was
made in 1910 to form an association but the difficulties in
organising 400 to 500 men scattered across the Country was immense.
In 1912 a society of Engineer Surveyors was formed in Glasgow, it
devoted its activities to Educational & social work.
1918 > Meeting of 26 Bank
clerks took place in Sheffield. They contributed a gold sovereign
each to start what became the Bank Officers Guild. The Amalgamated
Managers’ and Foremen’s Association was also founded this year. The
first ESA president, Mr T.Bertie was elected.
1919 > Scottish Bankers
Association formed. In England employers retaliated against
the Guild by launching internal company associations, some with
compulsory or free membership. National Amalgamated Union of
Life Assurance Workers was founded. Engineer Surveyors
Association (ESA) registered as a Trade Union on September
9th. Guild of Insurance Officials founded. National
Amalgamated Union of Life Assurance Workers founded.
1924 > Bank Officers Guild
membership reached 25,000.
1930’s > Scottish
Bankers Association affiliated to the TUC and STUC.
1940 > Bank Officers
Guild affiliates to TUC. Members of the Engineer Surveyors
Association (ESA) vote to affiliate to the TUC. The ESA also
affiliated to the NFPW in the same year.
1941 > Barclays were
the first major employer to recognise the Guild. The first
non-clerical staff were recruited.
1942 > Association of
Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians founded.
1944 > Engineer
Surveyors Association (ESA) had 1044 members with 34
branches.
1946 > The Bank
Officers Guild and the Scottish Bankers Association merged to form
the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). National Union
of Insurance Workers founded.
1947/48 > Recognition
agreements with Trustee Savings Bank and SCWS.
1950 > Nearly 60,000
bank staff sign pay petition. Followed in 1954 by Conference
agreeing ‘Programme for Progress’ and calling for an entirely new
salary structure.
1951 > The Liverpool
branch of the Engineer Surveyors Association (ESA) donated 30
Guineas for the purchase of an "insignia of office". At the 1957
Annual Conference the ESA President, Mr R.H. Bull was invested
with the "Chain of office & Insignia". The purchase of the
chain had been made possible by donations from members into a
special fund created for this purpose.
1960 > NUBE won
rights in the British Linen, Royal Bank of Scotland, Westminster
and William Deacons banks.
1963 > A.G. Brooks
appointed NUBE General Secretary.
1964 > Engineer Surveyors
Association (ESA) celebrates its Golden Jubilee. 2409 members, 47
branches, 3 sub-branches and 3 Head Office Engineers
Sections. The ESA published a book detailing its history and
activities over the last 50 years.
1967 > Industrial action in Wales,
Blackpool, Bolton, Doncaster and Nottingham over national
negotiations.
1968 > National
negotiations conceded for the first time in the English banking
industry. Scottish banks closed on Saturday mornings.
1969/70 > London
clearing banks closed on Saturday mornings. Formal negotiating
agreements with Barclays and DCO were followed soon after by other
major clearing banks.
1969 > Members
of the Engineer Surveyors Association (ESA) vote against a
merger with the ASTMS. Guild of Insurance Officials changed
its name to the Union of Insurance Staffs.
1971 > Job
evaluation structure covering English clearing banks agreed.
Negotiating structure in Scotland extended. Union of Insurance
Staffs transferred engagements to the ASTMS.
1971 > Technical
Administrative and Supervisory Staffs founded. The Industrial
Relations Act 1971 came into force during August and it was claimed
that the first agency shop agreement made under this act was made
by the Engineer Surveyors Association (ESA).
1972 > Leif
Mills became General Secretary of NUBE on the retirement of Alf
Brooks (who received the OBE). NUBE membership reached
100,000. Engineer Surveyors Association
(ESA) suspended from TUC affiliation for registering under the
Industrial Relations Act 1971, this was confirmed at the
1973 TUC Congress. At the 1974 ESA conference members
voted to re-affiliate with the TUC.
1973/75 > The
Bank of Scotland Staff Association and the Royal Bank of Scotland
Staff Association merged with NUBE. After a brief period outside,
NUBE re-affiliated to the TUC and STUC.
1975 > In July,
members of the Engineer Surveyors Association (ESA) voted 1547
for & 283 against over the instrument of transfer of
engagements of the ESA to the ASTMS, the turnout was 81.33%.
Following this the ESA became the Engineer Surveyors Section (ESS)
of ASTMS.
1976 > NUBE
affiliated to the international white-collar organisation
FIET.
1977 > Norman
Arnold receives the Queens Jubilee medal; he joined the Engineer
Surveyors Association (ESA) in 1947 and was the ESA president
during its Golden Jubilee year of 1964 to
1965.
1978 > GRE
members voted to join NUBE.
1979 > NUBE
Annual Conference agreed to change the name of the Union to BIFU
(the Banking Insurance and Finance Union). Phoenix Staff
Union voted to merge with BIFU.
1980 > Union made
legal history by backing the case of two women members in Lloyds
claiming equal pension treatment.
1981 > The Eagle
Star Staff Union transferred membership to BIFU. The Union’s new
Head Office in Wimbledon was opened by TUC General Secretary, Len
Murray.
1982 > BIFU
membership passed 150,000. Royal Liver and Composite staff joined
BIFU.
1984 > Staff
association at the Coventry building society merged with
BIFU. TUC established Financial Services Committee under the
chairmanship of Leif Mills.
1985 > BIFU
became first ever union to petition Parliament to secure better
terms for members in BBI on the merger with Barclays Plc.
Midland withdrew from English Clearing Bank Federation. Clearing
Bank Union withdrew from talks with BIFU.
1986 > Expansion
of financial companies in the City of London with ‘Big Bang’
de-regulation and general hostility to trade union recognition.
1987 > Bank of
England Staff Organisation merged with BIFU. BIFU moves to
new Head Office in Raynes Park.
1988 > BIFU
membership passes 165,000. Pay negotiations now entirely company
based. BIFU launches major campaigns to spotlight job losses
in the City and the threat to credit card jobs posed by a
Monopolies and Mergers Commission inquiry.
1988 > Manufacturing, Science and
Finance Union founded following merger with ASTMS and TASS. Ken
Gill becomes General Secretary of MSF.
1989 > BIFU
rules changed to comply with the law to enable election by ballot
of top officials and national officers. Leif Mills elected
unopposed as General Secretary. Northern Rock Staff
Association transfers to BIFU. Midland Bank opens first of planned
300 workplace nurseries.
1990 > BIFU
membership passes 170,000. Major public campaign – Raidwatch –
launched to tackle armed raids on banks and building
societies. Major job losses affect the finance sector.
1991 > BIFU
launches Job Safe campaign to highlight the threat to thousands of
finance jobs.
1992 > Major
campaigns launched to fight job losses – with 70,000 jobs at risk
over three years – included a lobby of Parliament. BIFU run a
vigorous and ultimately successful campaign against the hostile bid
from Lloyds Bank for the Midland which threatened a further 30,000
jobs. Roger Lyons becomes General Secretary of MSF.
1993 > ‘Year of
Equality’ to mark BIFU’s 75th birthday. Equality
projects run at all levels throughout the year. On-going
campaign against job losses and attacks on pay and
conditions. Nationwide leafleting of Royal Bank of Scotland
customers to protest at compulsory redundancies. One day
national strike on jobs at TSB closed hundreds of branches.
1994 > Designated the ‘Year of Job
Protection’ to mark the continuing attack on jobs and High Street
branches. BIFU’s Disablement Advisory Committee organised a
lobby of MPs to press for anti-discrimination laws to be extended
to people with disabilities. Campaigns included a highly
visible protest at more than 400 sackings in Barclays Bank.
1995 > Industrial action taken in
Clydesdale and Barclays over pay. Two-part campaign is
launched against Repetitive Strain Injuries – to persuade employers
to take preventative action and to increase government funding of
NHS physiotherapy.
1996 > Major
campaign launched by BIFU to protect jobs and customer service in
Lloyds TSB following the merger of the two banks. Ed Sweeney
is elected to the position of General Secretary following the
retirement of Leif Mills in March. Leif is awarded a CBE.
1999 > Nat West
Staff Association, Unifi and BIFU merge to form UNIFI.
2001 > MSF and
AEEU merge to form Amicus.
2004 > UNIFI
merges with Amicus. The Engineer Surveyors Section
(ESS) of Amicus celebrates its 90th anniversary.
2006 > Amicus
ESS convenor at Allianz, Geoff Hayward, became the first UK
employee to be elected as a non-executive director on
to the Supervisory Board of a European Company (SE)
located in Germany.
2007 > Amicus
merges with TGWU to form Unite.
If you have any comments or additional dates
to add to this timeline please email Saba
Mozakka.
