Transport Salaried Staffs' Association 1897-

Held at: Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Reference and contact details: GB 0152 MSS.55B
Title: Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
Dates of creation: 1897-[ongoing]
Extent: 0.43 cubic metres
Level of Description: fonds
Language of Material: English
Published by: Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick

Administrative/Biographical History

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association was founded as the National Association of General Railway Clerks at a meeting in Sheffield in May 1897. Two years later, the union became the Railway Clerks' Association (RCA). By 1904, the union comprised over four thousand members out of a potential total of 60,000 railway clerical members. The Gray's Inn Press was founded by the union in 1909 to produce the union's publications. The threat of strike action in 1919 forced the railway companies to recognise the RCA, which changed its name in 1951 to the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association.

Reference: Malcolm Wallace, Single or return? The history of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (1996, London)

Scope and Content

This addition to the archive of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association includes minutes of the Finance Sub-committee, 1916-76; conference minutes, 1951-74; financial and staff records, 1897-1965; minutes and financial records of the Gray's Inn Press, 1909-76; Transport Salaried Staff Journal , 1951- (incomplete); annual reports, 1952-74; correspondence files, 1911-62, including re recognition of the union, 1919; national agreements, 1920-7.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These deposits were made by the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) in April and October 1998 from the union's headquarters in London. The deposit has been supplemented by copies of union publications formerly held in the University Library, ref. 41/TC/197C.

Processing information

Note that some series (such as the Finance Committee minutes) follow on from series begun in previous TSSA deposits, which have been catalogued as MSS.55. Paper copies of the catalogue for MSS.55 are available at the Centre's searchroom, at the National Register of Archives and in the National Inventory of Documentary Sources. The Board of Trade library, which is held at the Modern Records Centre, includes RCA national agreements, 1925. Branch minutes of the union, which were included in the deposit, have been transferred to relevant local record offices.

An authority file exists for the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (GB 0152 AAR749) and its predecessors : the National Association of General Railway Clerks (GB 0152 AAR1274); the Railway Clerks' Association (GBR 0152 AAR750); and the related organisation, the Railway Telegraph Clerks' Association (GBR 0152 AAR1275).

Accruals

  • 1998 April, Oct; 1999 Feb additions to existing series of minutes, journals: new correspondence files, financial records, publications

Preferred Citation

Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (MSS.55B), Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick

Access Conditions

Open access.