A public meeting of men employed in the building trade took place in the lecture Theatre at the Harrow Liberal Club 15th April 1893. The meeting called by the Management Committee of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners of London District was well attended. The speakers called upon the "Harrow men to organise, and try to secure the same benefits as their fellow workers enjoyed in London".
It was stated that Harrow being within the 12 mile radius , the rules of London would apply to them. Members of the Amalgamated Society of House Decorators and Painters also spoke and urged the men to combine and form a branch of the Society at Harrow,
One of the speakers referred with great satisfaction to the fact that Mr Short, one of their members of the School Board, had given notice to propose "That in all contracts a clause should be inserted binding the contractors in paying trade union rates of wages" and he hoped all workers would support the member.
Mr Short replied that that he could not at present propose that resolution, as only one of the trades in the building trade was yet organised at Harrow.
Buckinghamshire Advertiser Harrow Journal 22 April 1893
The Manchester Alliance of Operative House Painters was formed in 1856 following a conference of small local societies in the Manchester area. It remained merely an alliance, that is the local societies retained their independence of rules, names and finances. In 1870 the alliance's name was changed to the General Union of Operative House Painters, in 1872 to the General Alliance of Operative House Painters and in 1880 to the General Alliance of Operative House and Ship Painters. In 1886 the alliance was dissolved and an amalgamated union was formed, the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House Painters and Decorators. In 1904 it merged with the Amalgamated Society of House Decorators and Painters and several smaller societies to form the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House and Ship Painters and Decorators.
In 1904 the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House Painters and Decorators merged with the Amalgamated Society of House Decorators and Painters and several smaller societies to form the National Amalgamated Society of Operative House and Ship Painters and Decorators. The society absorbed a number of local unions throughout its existence. In 1935 the society adopted the short title of the National Society of Painters. In 1961 it became the Amalgamated Society of Painters and Decorators after amalgamation with the Scottish Painters' Society and the Southport and Birkdale Operative House Painters' Association. In 1970 the society amalgamated with the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers to form the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers and Decorators.
see also Robert Tressell
The London leadership of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners (picture above) won reduced working hours after a bitter 26 week dispute in 1891. The Average working week being cut from 52 and a half hours a week to 50 hours and an increase in overtime rates.
