Union of Communication Workers (formerly the Union of Post Office Workers)

This collection includes: rules and related records; executive council and various committee minutes and papers; subject files; periodical and other publications; legal records; branch records.

The Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) was formed in 1919 as the result of the amalgamation of the Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association, the Fawcett Association and the Postmen's Federation, as well as the following smaller unions: the Adult Messengers' Association; the Bagmen's Association; the Central London Postmen's Association; the London Postal Porters' Association; the Tracers' Association; and the Tube Staff Association. In 1928 a breakaway group from the Union of Post Office Workers formed the National Guild of Telephonists. The Union of Post Office Workers changed its name to the Union of Communication Workers (UCW) in 1980. In 1995 the union merged with the National Communications Union (NCU) to form the Communication Workers' Union (CWU).

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/

The initial deposit was made by the Union of Post Office Workers in February 1977 and consisted of EC minutes, GPC minutes, pamphlets, journals, etc.

Further deposits were made as follows:

2 boxes of pamphlets, June 1979; 3 tea chests, September 1979; 12 archive boxes of conference and EC minutes, November 1981; 1 packet received by post, August 1983; verbatim proceedings of conferences 1976-9, June 1986; 14 cartons, November 1988; 3 cartons, February 1989; The Post and Branch Officers' Bulletin February 1994; UPW GP minutes, 1958-65; Whitley Council minutes and reports, 1919-59, September 1995; 2 volumes of postal strike reports via PRO, March 1996; 1 box of 1990s publications re privatisation, March 1997; 85 boxes, April 1997; photograph of 1920 conference, November 1998; videos relating to particular issues in the 1980s, including the Miners' strike, and annual conferences 1984 and 1987, December 2001.

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

There are no restrictions on the use of this archive, apart from the requirements of copyright law.

Related archives in the Centre include: the United Kingdom Postal Clerks' Association (MSS.148/PC), the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association (MSS.148/PT), the Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association (MSS.148/PA), the Fawcett Association (MSS.148/FA), the Postmen's Federation (MSS.148/PF), the Sorter Tracers' Association (MSS.148/ST), the Postal Porters' Association (MSS.148/PP), the National Federation of Postal and Telegraph Clerks (MSS.148/NF), the National Joint Committee of Postal and Telegraph Associations (MSS.148/NJC), the National Communications Union (MSS.135C), the Society of Post Office Executives (MSS.124), the Council of Post Office Unions (MSS.89); and the Communication Managers' Association (MSS.225/CM).