History of AEEU
The AEEU was formed
in 1992 from the merger of the EETPU and the AEU.
The
EETPU
The EETPU itself was the result of a merger of
two unions the ETU (electricians) and the PTU (plumbers). The PTU
was originally formed in 1865. This was followed soon after by the
formation of the ETU in 1868, after the Amalgamated Society of
Engineers refused membership to electricians.
The inter-war years saw both unions making
important industrial relations inroads, including the signing of
the first national agreement on electrical contracting and the
strengthening of ties with other building unions through the
national wages and conditions council.
The merger of the ETU and the PTU was
officially agreed in 1968. Important changes were made before this
went ahead to prevent the kind of abuses and ballot rigging of
which the ETU Communists were found guilty in 1961 and to ensure
that the unions were truly democratic.
In 1971, the Electrical and Engineering Staff
Association (EESA) was created as the white-collar section of the
union. By 1989 a number of other professional associations had
joined the union. They reorganised themselves under an umbrella
organisation known as the Federation of Professional
Associations.
The AEU
The Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE)
was formed in 1852. By the beginning of the 20th century it had
nearly 90,000 members. A head office was established in Peckham,
South London and these premises remained the headquarters of the
ASE until the merger with the EETPU in 1992.
In July 1920 the ASE and nine other unions
merged to form the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). The demand
for armaments during the Second World War led to a rapid expansion
of the engineering industry. This involved the widespread
employment of women, who were finally admitted to the Union in
1943.
Foundry workers joined the AEU in 1967,
followed by draughtsmen and construction engineers. In 1971 the
federation became known as the Amalgamated Union of Engineering
Workers.
