Catalogue Number
NMLH.1993.642
Object Name
Banner
Title
'National Union of Railwaymen. Hither Green branch. No 537. United we stand. Divided we fall.'
Place
Hither Green, London
People
National Union of Railwaymen (NUR)
Description
A green trade union banner with a central image showing a family around a table - the father is wearing a union sash. There is a mother holding a baby, and two older children. The image is surrounded by decorative scrollwork and smaller images of railway workers in the top corners. An image of a handshake wreathed with laurel leaves is surrounded by the words 'United we stand divided we fall'. The union and branch name are on scrolls across the top and bottom of the banner.
The imagery on the banner, of a family looking proud of the union worker may have been intended to encourage other, non-union workers to become union members to gain the same respect from their own families.
The National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) was a trade union for railway workers founded in 1913 following the merger of several smaller trade unions for railway workers. It was affiliated to the Labour Party, sponsoring numerous Labour candidates in elections who successfully won their seats. The NUR was considered a powerful and effective trade union for its members. In 1990 the NUR and National Union of Seamen merged to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the NUR ceased to exist.
Multimedia
