William Allan (trade unionist)

William Allan (August or September 1813 – 15 October 1874) was a

trade unionist

.

Born in

Journeymen Steam Engine and Machine Makers' Friendly Society ("Old Mechanics"), two early trade unions.^[1]

In 1847, Henry Selsby, the secretary of the Old Mechanics, was arrested for supporting engineers who were on strike, and the following year he resigned, with Allan elected to take his place. Allan was in favour of union amalgamations, and he worked with

Amalgamated Society of Engineers, the first example of what became known as a "New Model Union". Some branches of the Old Mechanics did not join, but Allan persevered and by the end of 1851 had brought membership up to over 10,000.^[1]

Allan was also prominent in the national trade union movement. He instigated the formation of the

Bee-Hive newspaper for the labour movement in 1870.^[1]

During the 1870s, Allan gradually became less active due to suffering from Bright's disease, but he remained in his posts until his death in 1874.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d John Saville, Dictionary of Labour Biography, vol.I, pp.14-18

Trade union offices
Preceded by Henry Selsby	Secretary of the Journeymen Steam Engine and Machine Makers' Friendly Society 1848 – 1851	Succeeded by Henry Selsby
Preceded by New position	General Secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers 1850 – 1875	Succeeded by John Burnett
Preceded by New position	Treasurer of the Trades Union Congress 1871 – 1873	Succeeded by Daniel Guile

[biography-1] John Saville, Dictionary of Labour Biography, vol.I, pp.14-18

[1]