The banner of the Scottish Union of Dock Labourers (SUDL), Glasgow Branch. The SUDL was formed in Glasgow in July 1911 to replace the Glasgow branch of the National Union of Dock Labourers (NUDL) which had closed in December 1910.
The NUDL had been founded in Glasgow in 1889, holding its first conference in the city in 1890. However, in 1891 the annual conference was held in Liverpool, a thriving maritime city which had many NUDL members. English members proposed moving the union's headquarters to Liverpool and their superior numbers carried the day. The Glaswegians were unhappy with the decision, believing that Scottish concerns would no longer be addressed adequately and that the Glasgow dockers were capable of managing their own affairs. This disaffection, reinforced by a weakening of the union after 1900 due to the onset of an economic recession and growing unemployment among dockers, led to the formation of the SUDL in 1911.
The SUDL had a short life, amalgamating with the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) in January 1923.
Reference: 44.82.133 / PP.1973.3
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
banners, barrels, cargo ships, clasped hands, conferences, cranes, dockers, docks, doves, National Union of Dock Labourers, Scottish Union of Dock Labourers, TGWU, thistles, trade unions, trades unions, Transport and General Workers' Union
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