The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was a British trade union in the printing industry.
 | |
| Predecessor | National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants |
|---|---|
| Merged into | Graphical, Paper and Media Union |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Dissolved | 1991 |
| Headquarters | SOGAT House, London Road, Hadleigh, Essex[1] |
| Location |
|
| Members | 205,784 (1980)[1] |
Publication | SOGAT Journal[1] |
| Affiliations | TUC, Labour |
History
editSOGAT was formed in 1966 by the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers and the National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA). The National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers became the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades Division A and NATSOPA became the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades Division 1. The aim was to achieve a complete merger over time, but differences led to in-fighting and in 1970 the two divisions split, Division A retaining the name Society of Graphical and Allied Trades and Division 1 becoming the National Society of Operative Printers, Graphical and Media Personnel (but retaining the NATSOPA acronym).
In 1975, SOGAT officially became the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades 1975 (SOGAT '75) after amalgamation with the Scottish Graphical Association. In 1982, SOGAT '75 and NATSOPA finally amalgamated to become the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades 1982 (SOGAT '82). In 1991, SOGAT '82 merged with the National Graphical Association to form the Graphical, Paper and Media Union, which subsequently merged with Amicus to become that union's Graphical, Paper and Media industrial sector.
Election results
editThe union did not initially sponsor Parliamentary candidates, but shortly after the 1979 general election, it changed its policy. It sponsored Bob Litherland's successful candidacy in the 1979 Manchester Central by-election, and also began sponsoring Ron Leighton, who was already a sitting Member of Parliament.[2]
| Election | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 by-election | Manchester Central | Bob Litherland | 7,494 | 70.7 | 1 |
| 1983 general election | Manchester Central | Bob Litherland | 27,353 | 65.3 | 1 |
| Newham North East | Ron Leighton | 19,282 | 49.7 | 1 | |
| 1987 general election | Manchester Central | Bob Litherland | 27,428 | 68.2 | 1 |
| Newham North East | Ron Leighton | 20,220 | 51.9 | 1 |
General Secretaries
edit- 1966: Tom Smith[3]
- 1970: Vincent Flynn[3]
- 1975: Bill Keys[3]
- 1982: Bill Keys and Owen O'Brien
- 1985: Brenda Dean
Presidents
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Eaton, Jack; Gill, Colin (1981). The Trade Union Directory. London: Pluto Press. pp. 157–160. ISBN 0861043502.
- ^ Gennard, John; Bain, Peter (1995). A History of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades. London: Routledge. pp. 428–430.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gennard, John; Bain, Peter (1995). A History of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades. London: Routledge. p. 214.
External links
edit- Catalogue of the SOGAT archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
- Catalogue of the Printing Machine Branch archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
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