Britain: An official handbook > 1966

474
BRITAIN! AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
Trades Union
Congress
agreed or customary conditions of work, and in some cases to act as repre¬
sentatives of members at their place of work for the settlement of grievances.
In a few trade unions, mainly in the printing and allied trades, organisation
is based primarily on the place of work.
In most large unions the central organisation is along the following lines:
elected officials, including a general secretary assisted by clerical and specialist
staff, are in charge of the work of the head office and are responsible to a
national executive council or committee which may be part-time or full-time,
and which is usually elected by, and responsible to, annual or biennial con¬
ferences of delegates from the branches.
Executive committees or councils play an important part in the government
of the unions; between conferences they are the highest authorities and carry
out policy decisions made by delegates. Most unions also have some regional,
district or area organisation, while in large unions there are usually regional,
district or area committees or councils.
Trade unions may affiliate to one or more federations or confederations
whose main purpose in most cases is to represent all or most of the trade
unions in an industry in negotiations with employers. The scope and authority
of these federations and confederations vary greatly in different circumstances.
In Britain the national centre of the trade union movement is the Trades
Union Congress (TUC). Most trade unions of any size and importance are
affiliated to it: the main exceptions are the National Union of Teachers
(NUT) and certain Civil Service staff associations. The TUC’s objects are
to promote the interests of its affiliated organisations and to improve the
economic and social conditions of the workers. Its membership comprises
174 organisations, of which about a dozen are federations of some 150 separate
unions; approximately 350 unions in all are affiliated directly or indirectly.
These represent about 8-5 million workpeople. The TUC deals with all
general questions which concern trade unions both nationally and inter¬
nationally and gives assistance on questions relating to particular trades or
industries at the request of the trade union concerned. It is recognised by the
Government as the channel of consultation between government departments
and representatives of organised workers on matters affecting the interests
of employees generally.
The congress of delegates, which constitutes the TUC proper, meets for a
week every year to discuss matters of general interest to trade unionists and
to employees generally. It elects annually a General Council which represents
it during the remaining 51 weeks of the year. The General Council is
responsible for carrying out congress decisions, for watching economic and
social developments, and for providing educational and advisory services.
It is also empowered in certain circumstances to mediate in inter-union
disputes.
One of the main tasks upon which the TUC is at present engaged is a
re-examination of the aims and structure of the British trade union movement.
Previous inquiries dealt principally with structure but on this occasion the
purposes of the movement also are being reviewed in the light of modern
conditions.
The TUC and a number of affiliated unions have in recent years substantially
developed their educational services to members. At the training college in
TUC headquarters, Congress House, London, one-week and two-week
courses are provided for about 700 students each year in general trade union
subjects, management techniques, industrial relations, collective bargaining
(including special courses for office workers and for workshop representatives),