Over a period of many years there has been a tendency for trade unions to amalgamate or to group themselves into federations for co-operative action while retaining their individual identity and interests.
From the end of 1917, when there were 182 federations with a membership of nearly 6 millions, there was an almost continuous fall in the number of federations to 1928, when there were 68 federations with a membership of 34 millions in existence. This reduction was largely due to amalgamations. The gross membership of the federations more than doubled between 1913 and 1920, but after that year showed an almost steady decline until 1935, since when there has been an appreciable increase. At the end of 1938 there were 61 federations in existence in Great Britain and Northern Ireland with a total membership of 2,976,000. In many instances trade unions are affiliated to more than one federation but even allowing for this 39 per cent. of trade union membership is federated.
At the end of 1938 the largest federations were the Mineworkers' Federation of Great Britain, representing an affiliated membership of over 500,000, and the General Federation of Trade Unions, to which were affiliated 9 organisations in various industries, paying fees on a membership of 351,000.
Other large federations were the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions of the United Kingdom, the United Textile Factory Workers' Association and the Northern Counties Textile Trades Fedoration (covering various organisations in the Cotton Industry), the Printing and Kindred Trades Federation, and the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives.
As is the case with individual unions, so it is the case with federations of trade unions. They conform to no plan and the degree to which the component unions surrender their autonomy varies greatly. Some federations provide for little more than consultation between the constituent unions; others are empowered to negotiate collective agreements on behalf of the unions, and in some cases the bonds of federation are so close as almost to constitute amalgama- tion.
The general consolidation and co-ordination of the trade union movement in this country is effccted by the Trade Union Congress and its General Council. The Congress consists of bona-fide trade union organisations, and, at the present time, the number of such unions affiliated to the Congress is 170 having an aggregate membership of over four and a half millions.
The primary objects of the Congress are to "promote the interests of all its affiliated organisations and generally to improve the economic and social conditions of the workers". The Congress is an annual meeting of the delegates of the affiliated unions at which questions of policy and general interest are discussed, and resolutions adopted.
The General Council of the Trades Union Congress transacts business in the periods between each annual Congress. In furtherance of its many objects the General Council is required by Standing Orders, inter alia, to keep a watch on all industrial movements, and where possible, co-ordinate industrial action; to adjust disputes and differences between affiliated organisations; to promote common action by the trade union movement on general questions such as wages and hours of labour and any matter of general concern that may arise between trade unions and trade unions, or between trade unions and employers, or between the trade union movement and the Government.
It should be mentioned that there is a separate Scottish Trades Union Congress which occupies much the same position in the trade union movement in Scotland as that of the Trades Union Congress described above. There are
69 Trade Unions and 42 Trade Councils affiliated to the Scottish Trades Union Congress, but this number includes some of the organisations affiliated to the Trades Union Congress which have membership in Scotland. The Scottish momber- ship of the organisations affiliated to the Scottish organisation is over 360,000.
The development and co-ordination of trade union activity on behalf of so considerable a proportion of the wage earning population of the country as described in the preceding paragraphs has resulted in the permeation of the trade union movement in varying ways and in different degrees into the industrial, economic and social structure of the country.
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