Catalogue Number
NMLH.2014.20.33
Object Name
Badge
Description
The Amalgamated Engineering Union was founded on 1st July 1920, as a result of the repeated attempts made by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers since 1851 to amalgamate numerous sectional societies in the engineering industry. In September 1918 the Amalgamated Society of Engineers held a conference with 22 unions from the industry to discuss this amalgamation. The result was that 17 of these unions agreed to put the proposal to the vote of their members. 9 societies obtained the necessary proportion of votes, namely: the Steam Engine Makers Society; the United Kingdom Society of Amalgamated Smiths and Strikers; the United Machine Workers Association; the Amalgamated Association of Brass Founders,Turners, Fitters, Finishers and Coppersmiths; the North of England Brass Turners, Fitters and Finishers Society; the London United Metal Turners, Fitters and Finishers Society; the East of Scotland Brass Founders Society; the Amalgamated Society of General Tool Makers, Engineers and
Machinists; and the Amalgamated Instrument Makers Society. The AEU affiliated to the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions in 1947. In 1968 with the accession of the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers the name of the union was changed to the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers. In 1970 the union amalgamated with the Draughtsmen and Allied Technicians Association and the Constructional Engineering Union and so was renamed the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. By 1971 the union had 4 sections: Foundry Workers; Engineers; Construction Workers; and Tecnical and Supervisory Staff. In 1984 the Foundry and Construction secions amalagamated with the Engineers toform a single organisation, while the Technical and Supervisory Staff (TASS) became a separate and independent trade union. In 1992 the AEU amalgamated with the Electrical Electronic Telecommunication and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.
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