Part of the Union

I’ve been a member of a union all my working life: NUR in the 1970s and an active member of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) today.

Salvo and Steveo with young Ryan staff the TSSA stall at Railfest, June 2012

Unions don’t get a  good press generally, but they are an essential part of working life. This new page of my website gives a mix of trades unionism past and present with a particular focus on the TSSA.

Banner Bright

There’s an excellent exhibition of contemporary union banners by Ed Hall at the People’s History Museum, manchester. The majority are railway union – mostly RMT but also a lovely ASLE&F Arnos Grove Branch emblem (‘Under ground – but not Ground Under’!). Go and see it – it’s on until October.

TSSA Journal

I wrte a regular piece for TSSA Journal, covering historical and present-day issues. recent articles ahve included the 1911 Rail Strike and ‘High Speed to the North’. I also blog on the TSSA Journal site.

Unity is Strength – and great coooking

NUR Education Centre at Frant Place, Sussex, in 1976. Jock Nicholson, now sadly deceased, in front centre row. Denis Shepherd (South Wales) at end and Brian Arundel behind him. Who else can you recognise? The catering at Frant Place  was superb and (thanks Nick), the setting magnificent. What great times we had!