1 9 ▁as ▁the ▁Ret ail ▁Book , ▁Station ery ▁and ▁Al lied ▁Tr ades ▁Emp loy ees ' ▁Association . ▁ ▁Its ▁membership ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁around ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁its ▁members ▁always ▁worked ▁for ▁W . ▁H . ▁Smith , ▁although ▁at ▁times ▁it ▁has ▁included ▁members ▁from ▁other ▁news ag ents ▁and ▁book sh ops . ▁ ▁Based ▁in ▁London ▁for ▁many ▁years , ▁it ▁moved ▁to ▁Sw ind on ▁when ▁WH Smith ' s ▁head ▁office ▁re located ▁there . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁it ▁has ▁undert aken ▁activity ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁" Ret ail ▁Book ▁Association ", ▁although ▁the ▁original ▁title ▁remains ▁its ▁officially ▁registered ▁name . ▁ ▁In ▁its ▁early ▁days , ▁the ▁union ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁a ▁general ▁secretary , ▁the ▁post ▁held ▁success ively ▁by ▁V . ▁H . ▁P ain , ▁R . ▁V . ▁Mot ts ▁and ▁A . ▁J . ▁Johnson . ▁ ▁The ▁union ▁was ▁affili ated ▁to ▁the ▁Tr ades ▁Union ▁Congress ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁but ▁with d rew ▁and ▁instead ▁linked ▁with ▁other ▁un ions ▁through ▁the ▁General ▁Federation ▁of ▁Trade ▁Un ions . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁either ▁organisation . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁never ▁had ▁a ▁political ▁fund , ▁but ▁is ▁entirely ▁independent ▁of ▁WH Smith , ▁representing ▁members ▁with ▁gr iev ances ▁or ▁who ▁are ▁subject ▁to ▁discipl inary