Society of Graphical and Allied Trades

Society of Graphical and Allied Trades
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
Location	United Kingdom;
Members	205,784 (1980)
Publication	SOGAT Journal
Affiliations	TUC, Labour

The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was a British trade union in the printing industry.

History

SOGAT 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

The 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
1983 general election	Newham North East	Ron Leighton	19,282	49.7	1
1987 general election	Manchester Central	Bob Litherland	27,428	68.2	1
1987 general election	Newham North East	Ron Leighton	20,220	51.9	1

General Secretaries

1966: Tom Smith^[3]

1970: Vincent Flynn^[3]

1975: Bill Keys^[3]

1982: Bill Keys and Owen O'Brien

1985: Brenda Dean

Presidents

1966: John McKenzie^[3]

1967: Vincent Flynn^[3]

1970: Bill Keys^[3]

1975: Albert Powell^[3]

1983: Brenda Dean^[3]

1985: Danny Sergeant^[3]

References

^ ^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

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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[eaton-1] Eaton, Jack; Gill, Colin (1981). The Trade Union Directory. London: Pluto Press. pp. 157–160. ISBN 0861043502.

[2] Gennard, John; Bain, Peter (1995). A History of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades. London: Routledge. pp. 428–430.

[history-3] ^ ^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.

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