| AdminHistory | The history of the development of trade unionism in foundry work and its allied trades is a complex one which is fully covered in H. J. Fyrth and H. Collins, The Foundry Workers - A Trade Union History (Manchester 1959). Fyrth and Collins indicate that as early as 1809 iron moulders in Sheffield had formed themselves a friendly society in defiance of the Combination Acts. The early years appear to have been dominated by demarcation disputes between moulders and coremakers which were reflected in the inter-union disputes which marked their development.
The surviving records listed here commence in 1893 as the records of the local branch committee of the Friendly Society of Ironfounders which amalgamated with other unions in 1920 to form the National Union of Foundry Workers.
The National Union of Foundry Workers was formed in 1920 by the amalgamation of the Friendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales, the Amalgamated Society of Coremakers of Great Britain and Ireland and the Associated Iron Moulders of Scotland. In 1944 it absorbed the Scottish Brassmoulders' Union and in 1945 the Associated Iron, Steel and Brass Dressers of Scotland. In 1946 it amalgamated with the United Metal Founders' Society and the Ironfounding Workers' Association to form the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers.
Today the foundry workers form the Foundry Section of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. |
| CustodialHistory | Donated by the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW). |