National Guild of Telephonists

Conference agendas, 1958-70; manuscript notes by J.E. Fitzgerald, general secretary; file of H.D. Hughes as mediator, 1965-9.

The National Guild of Telephonists, which broke away from the Union of Post Office Workers in 1928, aimed throughout its existence to represent the telephonist grades within the Post Office which were also represented by the Union of Post Office Workers. The Terrington Committee, established in 1951, felt this was undesirable and from 1965 pressure was put on the National Guild of Telephonists to amalgamate with the Union of Post Office Workers. Amalgamation was rejected in 1967 but negotiations continued until 1970 when the Post Office withdrew recognition from the National Guild of Telephonists. Some of its members transferred to the Union of Post Office Workers. The name of the remaining organisation was changed to the Telecommunications Staff Association.

Reference: Alan Clinton, Post Office Workers : a trade union and social history (London, 1984).

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

Link to full catalogue: http://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/NGT

The papers of the National Guild of Telephonists were deposited in the Centre on indefinite loan by Jim Fitzgerald, the last General Secretary of the Guild. They were collected from Jim Fitzgerald on the 18th March 1975. Accruals are listed below.

21st June 1994 : File of H.D. Hughes re NGT/UPW differences deposited by Mrs Beryl Hughes via the UCW Library; delivered by post [indefinite loan].

The Centre also holds records of the NGTs predecessor, the Telecommunications Staff Association.