Chapter XLIII: Appendix: VI

THE STATISTICAL PROGRESS OF TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP

It is unfortunately impossible to present any complete statistics of Trade Union membership at different periods. Until the appointment, in 1886, of John Burnett as Labour Correspondent to the Board of Trade, no attempt was made to collect any statistics of the movement; and the old Unions seldom possess a complete series of their own archives. The Friendly Society of Ironfounders, it is true, has exact figures since its establishment in 1809. No total figures can be given with any confidence.

The following tables may be useful as placing on record such comparative figures as we have been able to collect:

1. Amalgamated Society of Engineers. 2. Friendly Society of Ironfounders. 3. Steam Engine Makers’ Society. 4. Associated Ironmoulders of Scotland. 5. United Society of Boilermakers and Iron Shipwrights. 6. Operative Stonemasons’ Friendly Society. 7. Operative Bricklayers’ Society. 8. General Union of Operative Carpenters and Joiners. 9. Typographical Association. 10. London Society of Compositors. 11. Bookbinders’ and Machine Rulers’ Consolidated Union. 12. United Kingdom Society of Coachmakers. 13. Flint Glass Makers’ Friendly Society. 14. Amicable and Brotherly Society of Machine Printers. 15. Machine, Engine, and Iron Grinders’ Society. 16. Associated Blacksmiths’ Society. 17. Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. 18. Associated Carpenters and Joiners. 19. National Association of Operative Plasterers. 20. Northumberland Miners’ Mutual Confident Association. 21. United Journeymen Brassfounders’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland. 22. United Operative Plumbers’ Association. 23. Alliance Cabinet Makers’ Association. 24. United Operative Bricklayers’ Trade, Accident, Sick, and Burial Society. 25. Amalgamated Society of Tailors. 26. Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners. 27. Glass Bottle Makers of Yorkshire United Trade Protection Society. 28. Durham Miners’ Association. 29. National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers. 30. United Pattern Makers’ Association. 31. National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives. 32. Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. 33. Yorkshire Miners’ Association. 34. United Machine Workers’ Association. 35. National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association. 36. Railway Clerks’ Association. 37. Amalgamated Tramway and Vehicle Workers. 38. National Union of Dock Labourers. 39. British Steel Smelters. 40. National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants. 41. Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees. 42. National Union of Clerks. 43. Workers’ Union. 44. Amalgamated Musicians’ Union. 45. National Amalgamated Union of Labour. 46. Postmen’s Federation. 47. Post Office Engineering Stores.

_Table showing the Membership of certain Trade Unions at Successive Periods, from 1850 to 1918 inclusive._

--------+---------+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------
Number | Year | | | | | | | | | | | |
of | of | 1850.| 1855.| 1860.| 1865.| 1870. | 1875. | 1880. | 1885. | 1890. | 1900. | 1910. | 1918.
Society.| Estab- | | | | | | | | | | | |
|lishment.| | | | | | | | | | | |
--------+---------+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------
1. |1851[740]| 5,000|12,553|20,935|30,984| 34,711| 44,032| 44,692| 51,689| 67,928| 87,672|110,733| 298,782
2. |1809 | 4,073| 5,685| 7,973|10,604| 8,994| 12,336| 11,580| 12,376| 14,821| 18,357| 17,990| 28,586
3. |1824 | 2,068| 1,662| 2,050| 2,521| 2,819| 3,871| 4,134| 5,062| 5,822| 8,566| 14,401| 27,206
4. |1831 | 814| 1,381| 2,084| 3,046| 2,766| 4,346| 4,664| 5,611| 6,198| 7,504| 7,880| 7,961
5. |1832 | 1,771| 3,500| 4,146| 8,621| 7,261| 16,191| 17,688| 28,212| 32,926| 47,670| 49,393| 95,761
6. |1832 | 4,671| 8,093| 9,125|15,483| 13,965| 24,543| 12,610| 11,285| 12,538| 19,419| 7,055| 4,929
7. |1848 | 340| 924| 1,641| 4,320| 1,441| 4,832| 5,700| 6,412| 12,740| 38,830| 23,284| 34,441
8. |1827 | 535| 1,180| 2,228| 6,986| 8,008| 10,885| 4,420| 1,734| 2,485| 7,727| 5,653| 12,000
9. |1849 | 603| 1,288| 1,473| 1,992| 2,430| 3,600| 5,350| 6,551| 9,016| 16,179| 21,436| 11,602
10. |1848 | 1,800| 2,300| 2,650| 2,800| 3,350| 4,200| 5,100| 6,435| 8,910| 11,287| 12,230| 12,940
11. |1835 | 420| 340| 500| 748| 915| 1,670| 1,501| 1,788| 2,910| 4,064| 5,027| --[741]
12. |1834 | 1,567| 3,040| 4,086| 4,599| 5,801| 7,251| 4,989| 4,560| 5,367| 6,536| 6,854| 15,118
13. |1849 | 500| 897| 1,355| 1,606| 1,776| 2,005| 1,963| 1,985| 2,123| 2,409| 916| 775
14. |1841 | 375| 452| 508| 530| 570| 650| 690| 740| 860| 963| 983| 228
15. |1844 | 200| 110| 330| 449| 280| 390| 258| 277| 304| 433| 703| 746
| +------+------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------
| |24,737|43,405|61,084|95,289| 95,087|140,802|125,339|144,717|184,948|277,616|284,538| 551,075
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
16. |1857 | -- | -- | 856 | 1,815| 1,590| 2,113| 2,002| 2,335| 2,300| 2,933| 2,953| 17,238
17. |1860 | -- | -- | 618 | 5,670| 10,178| 14,917| 17,764| 25,781| 31,495| 65,012| 55,785|} 124,841
18. |1861 | -- | -- | -- | 4,453| 3,585| 6,642| 4,673| 4,535| 4,742| 9,808| 3,964|}
19. |1862 | -- | -- | -- | 4,441| 2,461| 3,742| 3,211| 2,110| 4,236| 11,009| 6,522| 4,110
20. |1863 | -- | -- | -- | 4,250| 5,328| 17,561| 10,707| 13,128| 16,961| 23,950| 37,361| 40,000
21. |1866 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,457| 1,821| 1,890| 2,344| 2,162| -- | 5,241| 7,500
22. |1832 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1,537| 1,679| 2,232| 2,666| 5,350| 11,186| 10,907| 13,000
23. |1865 | -- | -- | -- | ? | 242| 1,965| 1,346| 1,246| 4,298| 5,270| -- | --[742]
24. |1832 | ? | | ? | ? | 3,850| 7,350| 3,282| 1,975| 1,725| 3,428| 1,655| 2,950
25. |1866 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4,006| 14,352| 12,583| 13,969| 16,629| 13,439| 12,143| 29,422
26. |1853 | -- | ? | ? | ? | 10,518| 14,257| 11,834| 16,579| 18,145| 18,384| 22,992| 24,806
27. |1860 | -- | -- | ? | ? | 792| 1,120| 1,061| 1,522| 1,899| 2,840| 2,450| 2,800
28. |1869 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,899| 38,000| 30,000| 35,000| 49,000| 80,260|121,805| 126,250
| | | | | +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------
| | | | | |142,530|266,321|227,924|267,907|343,890|546,135|559,316| 944,992
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
29. |1872 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5,271| 4,633| 3,582| 7,958| 8,675| 7,373| 25,000
30. |1872 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 418| 824| 1,241| 2,205| 4,604| 7,214| 10,290
31. |1874 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4,311| 6,404| 10,464| 23,459| 27,960| 30,197| 83,017
32. |1872 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13,018| 8,589| 9,052| 26,360| 62,023| 75,153| --[743]
33. |1858 | -- | -- | ? | ? | ? | 8,000| 2,800| 8,000| 50,000| 54,475| 88,271| 100,400
34. |1844 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 276| 279| 455| 2,501| 3,769| 4,843| 23,374
| | | | | | +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------
| | | | | | |297,615|251,453|300,701|456,373|707,641|772,367|1,187,073
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
35. |1902 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,248| 6,685| 47,220
| | | | | | | | | | | (1902)| |
36. |1897 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,550| 9,476| 66,130
37. |1889 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ? | 9,214| 17,076| 40,564
38. |1889 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ? | 13,388| 14,253| 45,000
39. |1886 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ? | 10,467| 17,491| 40,000(?)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | [744]
40. |1891 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 7,551| 22,426| 83,000
| | | | | | | | | | | | | (1919)
41. |1891 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,733| 29,886| 87,134
42. |1891 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 82| 3,166| 35,000
43. |1898 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ? | 2,879| 5,016| 230,000
44. |1893 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3,286| 6,182| 14,649
45. |1889 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ? | 21,111| 16,017| 143,931
46. |1891 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 23,180| 37,892| 65,078
47. |1896 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 940| 3,500| 14,000
| | | | | | | | | | +-------+-------+---------
| | | | | | | | | | |106,629|189,046| 911,706
| | | | | | | | | | +-------+-------+---------
| | | | | | | | | | |814,270|961,413|2,098,779
--------+---------+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------

We have suggested that it is doubtful whether, in 1842, there were as many as 100,000 enrolled and contributing members. A quarter of a century later George Howell and others could talk vaguely of a million members, but we doubt whether this number was reached until the years of good trade that followed 1871. In 1878-80 there was a great falling off, and we doubt whether the aggregate of a million was again reached until 1885. In 1892 we recorded a million and a half. Not until the end of the century were two millions attained--a number doubled by 1915, and in the last four or five years again increased by over fifty per cent.

_Table showing the aggregate Trade Union Membership in groups of Industries at the end of each of the years 1892-1917 inclusive._[745]

-----+---------+--------+---------+--------+---------+----------+-----------------------------+---------
| | | Metal, | | | | |
| | Mining | Engin- | | | | | Total,
Year.|Building.| and | eering, |Textile.|Clothing.|Transport.| Other Trades. | all
| | Quarry-| and | | | | | Unions.
| | in | Ship- | | | | |
| | |building.| | | | |
-----+---------+--------+---------+--------+---------+----------+-----------------------------+---------
1892| 157,971 | 315,272| 279,534| 204,022| 83,299 | 154,947 | 307,313 |1,502,358
1893| 172,870 | 318,112| 266,813| 205,546| 80,768 | 142,084 | 293,224 |1,479,417
1894| 178,721 | 307,276| 263,572| 214,331| 81,786 | 123,896 | 266,718 |1,436,300
1895| 179,283 | 280,065| 269,169| 218,805| 78,560 | 120,475 | 261,479 |1,407,836
1896| 193,341 | 279,977| 303,518| 217,950| 76,997 | 134,877 | 287,805 |1,494,465
1897| 215,603 | 283,054| 319,745| 218,619| 75,852 | 183,994 | 317,131 |1,613,998
| | | | | | | +--------+--------+-------+ |
| | | | | | |/Printing,| Wood- | Other\|
| | | | | | | Paper, |working.| Trades.|
| | | | | | | etc. | | |
1898| 232,040 | 366,731| 312,444| 240,895| 69,954 | 147,957 | 54,436 | ---- | 264,074|1,688,531
1899| 249,988 | 445,706| 335,746| 245,301| 66,777 | 163,685 | 56,727 | ---- | 284,640|1,848,570
1900| 253,412 | 524,150| 342,079| 245,438| 67,183 | 171,599 | 57,228 | ---- | 294,615|1,955,704
1901| 248,967 | 530,953| 338,468| 243,474| 65,660 | 169,199 | 58,274 | ---- | 311,766|1,966,761
1902| 245,141 | 532,082| 337,064| 246,829| 64,094 | 158,714 | 59,062 | ---- | 310,321|1,953,307
1903| 238,141 | 529,028| 337,122| 244,081| 61,713 | 159,051 | 60,138 | ---- | 301,769|1,931,043
1904| 225,149 | 501,764| 334,822| 246,473| 58,598 | 159,788 | 62,428 | ---- | 306,087|1,895,109
1905| 205,179 | 496,828| 340,364| 266,416| 60,394 | 167,017 | 62,368 | ---- | 321,807|1,920,373
1906| 196,492 | 571,336| 361,453| 302,968| 59,806 | 190,155 | 64,451 | ---- | 367,145|2,113,806
1907| 193,190 | 703,344| 376,805| 354,427| 68,810 | 238,813 | 68,221 | ---- | 403,136|2,406,746
1908| 177,718 | 719,384| 365,134| 362,540| 65,637 | 230,642 | 72,970 | 41,797| 353,505|2,388,727
1909| 162,278 | 722,639| 359,838| 366,445| 65,882 | 224,037 | 71,531 | 39,240| 357,177|2,369,067
1910| 156,985 | 731,305| 370,055| 379,644| 67,158 | 245,223 | 74,275 | 38,881| 382,816|2,446,342
1911| 173,182 | 752,419| 415,176| 436,927| 74,423 | 513,538 | 77,252 | 45,474| 530,512|3,018,903
1912| 203,773 | 757,147| 479,471| 478,097| 91,855 | 514,724 | 76,807 | 50,853| 635,107|3,287,884
1913| 248,647 | 915,734| 538,541| 515,684| 105,929 | 699,952 | 84,414 | 64,442| 813,772|3,987,115
1914| 235,828 | 870,198| 557,769| 497,494| 102,538 | 705,501 | 92,283 | 64,296| 796,902|3,918,809
1915| 228,475 | 857,183| 633,502| 507,731| 114,085 | 737,004 | 97,290 | 65,210| 886,313|4,126,793
1916| 229,272 | 877,694| 695,347| 530,411| 121,656 | 803,872 | 97,669 | 69,403|1,012,623|4,437,947
1917| 257,286 | 941,120| 847,202| 627,919| 149,756 | 903,109 | 109,586 | 83,369|1,360,165|5,287,522
-----+---------+--------+---------+--------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+---------

FOOTNOTES:

[740] Established January 10, 1851. The membership given for 1850 is that with which the amalgamation started.

[741] Merged in the National Union of Bookbinders and Machine Rulers, 1911.

[742] In 1902 joined with the Operative Cabinet and Chair Makers of Scotland to form the National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association.

[743] Amalgamated in 1913 with the United Pointsmen and Signalmen and the General Railway Workers’ Union to form the National Union of Railwaymen.

[744] In 1917 the members of the British Steel Smelters were merged in the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation.

[745] [From Labour Department’s Reports on Trade Unions for 1900, 1905-7 and 1912, Cmd. 773, 4651 and 6109, and _Labour Gazette_.]