op ers , ▁bringing ▁together ▁local ▁un ions , ▁existed ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁when ▁a ▁length y ▁strike ▁led ▁it ▁to ▁collapse . ▁▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁union ▁surv ived , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁again ▁form ▁a ▁national ▁organisation . ▁ ▁That ▁year , ▁th ir teen ▁un ions ▁formed ▁the ▁Mut ual ▁Association ▁of ▁J our ne ymen ▁Co op ers , ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁co - ordinate ▁activity , ▁but ▁permitted ▁each ▁affili ate ▁to ▁control ▁its ▁own ▁money ▁and ▁retain ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁aut onomy . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁union ▁was ▁rot ated ▁between ▁different ▁branches . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁the ▁union ▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁members ▁in ▁ 2 7 ▁affili ates , ▁and ▁this ▁continued ▁to ▁grow , ▁with ▁the ▁following ▁un ions ▁affili ated ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 0 : ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁the ▁union ▁renamed ▁itself ▁as ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Society ▁of ▁Co op ers . ▁ ▁Despite ▁its ▁national ▁scope , ▁several ▁rival ▁co op ers ' ▁un ions ▁existed , ▁including ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁of ▁Co op ers . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Society , ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁and ▁three ▁smaller ▁un ions ▁formed ▁the ▁Co op ers ' ▁Federation ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain .