Post Office Engineering Union
Introduction The '''Post Office Engineering Union''' ('''POEU''') was a trade union in the United Kingdom. It represented engineering staff in the Post Office, mostly working in telecommunications.
History The union was founded in 1915 when the Post Office Engineering and Stores Association and the Amalgamated Society of Telephone Employees merged, to form the '''Post Office Amalgamated Engineering and Stores Association'''. In 1922, following the establishment of the Irish Free State, the union's Irish section split away to form the Irish Post Office Engineering Union. In 1925, the Post Office Telegraph Mechanicians' Society joined the union. However, by 1939, membership was only 39,000.By 1983, the POEU was the twentieth largest union in the UK, with membership around 130,000.In 1985, it merged with the Postal and Telecommunications Group of the Civil and Public Services Association, forming the National Communications Union.
Election results The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in each Parliamentary election from 1966 onwards. Election  Constituency  Candidate  Votes  Percentage  Position 1966 general election  Isle of Ely    19,566  43.8  2 1969 by-election  Newcastle-under-Lyme    21,786  46.1  1 1970 general election  Colchester    20,325  35.0  2 Mitcham    22,047  44.2  2 Newcastle-under-Lyme    22,329  48.9  1 1973 by-election  Westhoughton    26,294  57.0  1 Feb 1974 general election  Edinburgh Pentlands    13,560  30.8  2 Newcastle-under-Lyme    28,603  47.2  1 Westhoughton    30,574  51.5  1 Oct 1974 general election  Newcastle-under-Lyme    28,154  49.6  1 Westhoughton    30,373  54.1  1 1979 general election  Bexleyheath    13,342  32.7  2 Blaydon    24,687  53.4  1 Newcastle-under-Lyme    28,649  48.5  1 Westhoughton    29,685  48.2  1 1983 general election  Blaydon    21,285  44.4  1 Newcastle-under-Lyme    21,210  42.0  1 Wigan    29,859  54.6  1
Leadership ===General Secretaries===:1915: Charles Howard Smith:1938: John Edwards:1947: Douglas Coward:1953: Charles Delacourt-Smith:1972: Bryan Stanley===Presidents===:1915: E. W. Bennett:1921: H. A. Barclay:1924: E. W. Goodwin:1926: H. G. Hill:1933: C. T. Saunders:1934: E. W. Goodwin:1935: C. J. Connelly:1936: A. V. Games:1939: Ernie Power:1951: W. J. A. Hughes:1952: L. G. Fox:1955: W. J. Jones:1956: Stan Rosser:1970: John Scott-Garner
References
External links * Catalogue of the POEU archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick* Catalogue of the POESA archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick