Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union

The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1847 in Manchester, it represents workers in the food industry.

BFAWU
Full nameBakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union
Founded1847
Members5,137 (1907)[1]
20,496 (2013)[2]
AffiliationTUC, TUCG, ICTU, Labour Party[3]
Key peopleRonnie Draper, general secretary
Office locationStanborough House, Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City
CountryUnited Kingdom
Websitewww.bfawu.org

History

Soon after foundation, the union began organising nationally and became the Amalgamated Union of Operative Bakers. It gained prominence when its 1861 campaign for improvements in working conditions led to the Bakehouse Regulations Act 1863. The union gradually adopted a federal structure.

In 1964, the union was renamed the Bakers' Union, but this was later lengthened to the present name.

In July 2015, the BFAWU endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[4]

In 2017, BFAWU members staged the first strikes at McDonald's in the UK.[5]

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections, winning twice.[6][7]

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1922 general electionFulham WestRobert Mark Gentry8,21035.62
1932 by-electionWednesburyWilliam Banfield21,97754.71
1935 general electionWednesburyWilliam Banfield22,68353.31

Leadership

General Secretaries
1864: Thomas Hodson
1883: John Jenkins
1915: John William Banfield
1940: Joseph Thomasson
1952: Jock Halliday
1968: Stanley Gretton
1975: Sam Maddox
1979: Joe Marino
2010: Ronnie Draper[8]
2020: Sarah Woolley

Presidents
1910: A. F. Bentley
1914: J. H. Brown
1926: T. Ferris
1927: H. Keen
1946: Ernest Haynes
1969: Chris Childs
1977: Terry O'Neill
1995:
c.2000: Ronnie Draper
2010: Ian Hodson

References
  1. Report on Trade Unions in 1905-1907. London: Board of Trade. 1909. pp. 82–101.
  2. Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union: annual returns. UK Certification Officer.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2012-02-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Syal, Rajeev (5 July 2015). "Jeremy Corbyn gets backing of Unite in Labour leadership race". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  5. Kollewe, Julia; Slawson, Nicola (September 4, 2017). "McDonald's workers to go on strike in Britain for first time" – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. Parker, James (2017). Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940 (PDF). Exeter: University of Exeter. p. 125.
  7. Labour Party, Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-272
  8. "Ronnie Draper is elected General Secretary" (PDF). Autumn 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2011.

Further reading
  • Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions


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