Catalogue Number
NMLH.1993.637
Object Name
Banner
Title
'Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants For Scotland. Union is strength. All men are brethren.'
Place
Scotland
People
Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for Scotland (ASRS), National Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, National Union of Railwaymen, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)
Date
circa 1872-1892
Description
A red banner with blue woolen fringing. The text 'Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants For Scotland' sits above and below a central image of a yellow steam engine with two rail workers in it's cab. At the left and right of the central image are the union mottos 'Union is Strength' and 'All Men Are Brethren'.
The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for Scotland (ASRS) formed in 1872. This This handmade banner was made at some time in the 1880s. It is unusual for having a hand drawn design compared to many of the era which have generic images chosen from a banner maker's catalogue.
The ASRS merged with the National Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants in 1892. Long working days meant that exhaustion among railway workers regularly led to serious accidents. The union fought for shorter hours to improve safety. The ASRS joined with other railway unions to establish the National Union of Railwaymen in 1913. In 1990 it joined with the National Union of Seamen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
