Blackburn and District Trades Union Council is a voluntary body comprised of delegates from the local organisations of Trade Unions with members working and/or living in the Boroughs of Blackburn with Darwen, and the Ribble Valley.
Still known to most Trade Union activists simply as the “Trades Council”, its roots lie in what were once separate organisations for Blackburn, Darwen and Clitheroe. Blackburn’s origins, in terms of a continuous lineage, are in 1889, when the British Labour movement was, in a varity of ways, beginning to send out different shoots all with the similar objective of achieving greater local and national influence for the working class over social policies.
In its earliest debates, the Blackburn Trades Council tended to be somewhat hesitant when it came to the hot topic of “Labour Representation”, reflecting the uncertainty of the textile unions in particular. They were quite practiced in engaging with the political process relatively independently. The Trades Council put forward its own candidates for election to the Town Council, and a few were successful in addition to candidates put forward by the Independent Labour Party and the Social Democratic Federation. The Conservative Party, however, remained in overall control locally, whilst the role of the law in cases like “Taff Vale” in 1901, and in 1903 in a case Banister Bros. took against textile Union pickets, encouraged greater co-operation.
Conservative control of the Town Council in Blackburn was not ended until after the Second World War. But the emerging Labour Movement made one of its breakthroughs when Philip Snowden was elected one of Blackburn consituency’s two MPs in 1906. By that time the Trades Council was right behind the Labour Representation cause, and Snowden’s Agent was James Frankland – the Trades Council Secretary.
In the pre-First World War years, the Blackburn Trades Council was also involved in local Industrial Disputes – such a strike at the gasworks. In the 1920s it became a “Trades Council and Labour Party”, whilst not loosing its industrial edge. It is perhaps fair to say, though, that the outcome of the General Strike and then the great depression of the textile industry had an impact in terms of convincing the organisation that the primary need was for political success.
There is sometimes an impression that the Textile Unions were supine in the face of the dramatic decline of their industry. In the years from the General Strike to 1934, however, two thirds of all working days lost in strikes were in textiles, despite high local unemployment that had started even before the Depression. At the start of 1932, for instance, when over one third of the insured workers were unemployed, there were mass pickets at mills in Great Harwood and Blackburn when employers tried to offer work at under the agreed rates. The pickets at Great Harwood faced assualt by mounted and foot police.
As early as 1924, George Eddie – Frankland’s successor and a man who these days proviokes the image of the municipal waistcoat (though he had spent time in prison as a conscientious objector during the First World War) was telling the “Blackburn Times” that all the “aims and objects for which the Trade Union movement was founded” were now “the object of political activity and legislative action”.
Unified forms of “Trades Council and Labour Party” were not uncommon in the 1920s. This form of organisation persisted much longer in Blackburn than elsewhere, however – the “split” not comming until the early 1970s.
Once again a purely Trade Union organisation, the contemporary Trades Council might be thought to have lost much of its previous scope and significance, despite the mergers with Darwen and Clitheroe. This is true in several ways. There is no longer the degree of influence with the Labour Party that once applied. Trade Unions have lost members since the 1980s and have been shown the cold shoulder in areas where once their involvement was appreciated – such as in the nomination of representatives to public bodies. As more people travel to work by car and own or rent houses in a wider area around their workplaces much of the organic link between Trade Unions and communities has been lost. Maybe we have also let slip some of our basic habits of solidarity, as individualistic consumerism is promoted as the social norm. The number of people we have involved as volunteer activists and lay officers has dropped.
Yet still, outside of religious organisations Trade Unions remain the largest and most open group of representative organisations in civil society. Still we are a distinctive Labour Movement. Whilst the resources available to our Trades Council are limited, we continue to “fight our corner” in a variety of ways. For instance:
We try to publicise a “Trade Union point of view” on key social issues. If you look at the motions passed across Trade Union annual conferences it soon becomes clear that there is a lot of overlap and that they represent a policy profile that differs from much of the parliamentary agenda. We try to do our bit to push these issues – building new council homes for affordable rent; investing in industry; investing in green jobs and home repairs; nationalising the railways and public utilities; restoring accountability in the NHS, ending the internal market and reducing its depenedence on private healthcare companies; opposing privatisation and outsourcing; creating a unified and public social care service; establishing stronger workers’ rights; reducing poverty and inequality; making public welfare less punitive.
We try to support fellow workers when they are having difficulties with their employers and need help.
We lobby national and local governments and public bodies, either on our own initiative or in response to things like public consultations.
We remain willing to nominate representatives to public bodies and participate in social partnerships.
We affiliate to and support civil society campaigns and projects, particularly in matters such as anti-racism.
And we are also, most basically, an affinity of trusted associates, where local trade unionists can come together, “share notes”, and discuss issues of common interest.
Follow the link below to download a brief .pdf guide to the role of Trades Union Councils and their position within TUC structures:
We have an online application form available here: https://forms.office.com/e/9FRMJXaAhd.
And you can download printable copies here:
Affiliations are made annually, and must be with us before our Annual General Meeting in April for delegates to take part in that meeting. Trade Union Branches can affiliate if they have with members working and/or living in the Boroughs of Blackburn with Darwen, and the Ribble Valley.