Community (trade union)

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**Community**

Community
Founded	2004
Members	35,000
Country	United Kingdom
Affiliation	TUC, STUC
Key people	Michael J. Leahy OBE, General Secretary
Office location	London, England
Website	www.community-tu.org

Community is a British trade union representing workers in the clothing, textiles, footwear, steel and betting industries as well as workers with disabilities. Community has merged or transferred engagements of a number of smaller unions, some of which have retained their structure as sectors within Community. These include the National League of the Blind and Disabled (NLBD), the National Union of Domestic Appliances Operatives (NUDAGO) and the British Union of Social Work Employees (BUSWE).

Community supports the New Unionism project of the TUC, particularly the TUC organising academy. The first member to join the newly constituted union in 2004 was British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown^[1].

1 History
2 Campaigns
3 Affiliations
4 Structure
5 Office Holders
6 References
- 6.1 External links

[edit] History

Community was formed from a merger of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) and the National Union of Knitwear, Footwear & Apparel Trades(KFAT). Occurring on July 1st 2004, Community began advocating ‘Community Unionism’ which dictates that the union directs effort to improving conditions in the workplace as well as in the general community in which members live.

Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC)

The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) was constituted on the 1st of January 1917 from a merger of the British Steel Smelters, Mill, Iron and Tinplate Workers, The Associated Iron and Steel Workers of Great Britain and the National Steel Workers’ Association Engineering and Labour League^[2]. The ISTC was later joined by the Amalgamated Association of Steel & Iron Workers of Great Britain in 1920 and the Tin and Sheet Millmens Association in 1921. The Wire Workers Union joined in 1922, but withdrew in 1924. The Wire Workers Union rejoined in 1991. In 1985 the National Union of Blast-furnace-men joined the ISTC. However the decline of British manufacturing jobs in these industries led the union to diversify its membership merging with the National League of the Blind and Disabled (NLBD) in 1999 and the Power Loom Carpet Weavers and Textile Workers Union (PLCWTWU) in 2000.

National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades (KFAT)

The National Union of Knitwear, Footwear & Apparel Trades(KFAT) was formed in 1991 by the merger of the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers (NUHKW) with National Union of Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades (NUFLAT). NUFLAT had been formed in 1873 following a meeting of various regional associations. The history of the NUHKW can be traced back to 1776 and the formation of the Stocking Makers Association in Nottingham.

National League of the Blind and the Disabled (NLBD)

The NLBD is the oldest organisation of disabled people in the world. It was formed as a trade union in 1899. The NLBD campaigned for disabled people from formation and in 1920 lobbied parliament successfully to introduce the world's first piece of blind person specific legislation, the 1920 blind person act.This tradition of advocacy coontributed to the creation of the Disability Rights Commission and the 2005 Disability Discrimination Act.

British Union of Social Work Employees (BUSWE)

In 2008 the membership of BUSWE voted in favour of a transfer of engagements to Community. Buswe was formed in 1976 from a meeting of the British Association of Social Workers. In 1985 it was large enough to support a full-time General Secretary Stan Crawshaw. After a period of instability in the early 1990’s BUSWE was the only union in the UK to record growth in the period 1996-7 without merging with another union.

[edit] Campaigns

Community operates with two distinct models.

Steel, Iron, Wire, Textiles, Knitwear and Footwear and other manufacturing

The manufacturing and Industrial sectors of Community receive the traditional union servicing model of a branch structure, branch secretaries and workplace focus. As the union density is high in this sector organising is generally restricted to “infill organising” and Community focuses on service provision and negotiations with employers.

Betting Shops and the Social Workers sector

In other sectors Community adopts an “organising model” which adopts new technology methods of organising into the structure of “Community Unionism”. Community is engaged in “Greenfields” organising in these sectors and so focuses on issues such as unpaid overtime, safety, single-staffing and pay, terms and conditions.

[edit] Affiliations

Community is affiliated to a number of national, European and International union structures. At a national level, Community is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and Wales TUC. At a European level, Community affiliates to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF), European Trade Union Federation - Textiles, Clothing & Leather (ETUF-TCL) and UNI-Europa. At an international level, Community affiliates to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) and UNI-Global.

[edit] Structure

Community is organised into 8 regions and 3 semi autonomous sectors. The regions are; Scotland and Northern Ireland, North East England, Yorkshire and Humberside, North West England and North Wales, West Midlands South Wales and South West England East Midlands London and South East England

The Sectors are; National League of the Blind and Disabled (NLBD), Domestic Appliance Sector (NUDAGO), and BUSWE sector

Community is a national union which is organised into 8 regions. Community is governed by the National Executive Council NEC of 21 members, the general secretary and deputy general secretary. This body is elected for three year terms with each region being allocated NEC seats proportionally. There are also 3 seats reserved for women members, one for members with disabilities and one for ethnic or minority members. The NEC elect a President and Vice President from amongst their number annually.

The day to day business of the union is conducted by the general secretary, deputy general secretary, two national officers and four regional directors.

[edit] Office Holders

President

The 2008 President is Keren Bender. Keren is a Union Learning rep at the Port Talbot Steelworks after working at the Llanwern steel plant for 30 years.

Vice President

The 2008 Vice President is Gareth Davies, being blind Gareth is the first disabled member to hold the position.

General Secretary

General Secretaries are elected for 5 year terms by the ordinary members of the union. The Current General Secretary is Michael J. Leahy OBE, who continued in the position as the General Secretary of the ISTC prior to the merger in 2004. Michael J. Leahy was elected as General Secretary of the ISTC in 1998.