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Arthur Pugh

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Arthur Pugh

Sir Arthur Pugh CBE (19 January 1870 – 2 August 1955) was a British trade unionist.

Born in Ross-on-Wye, Pugh was apprenticed to a farmer who also worked as a butcher, but soon moved to Neath to work in the steel industry, where he became active in the British Steel Smelters' Association. In 1901, he moved to Frodingham, Lincolnshire, and he became first Assistant Secretary and then Office Secretary of the union. In 1917, he played a leading role in the formation of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) and the British Iron, Steel and Kindred Trades Association, becoming the first General Secretary of the ISTC. He served as President of the Trades Union Congress in 1926, during the UK General Strike, was on the economic consultative committee of the League of Nations, and was active in running the Daily Herald newspaper. He retired from his union posts in 1935, and wrote Men of Steel, a history of the metal-workers trade unions.[1]

Pugh was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1930 New Year Honours for public services,[2] and knighted in the 1935 Birthday and Silver Jubilee Honours.[3]

He was featured in Jack Thorne's 2023 play When Winston Went to War with the Wireless, played by Elliott Rennie.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Pugh, Sir Arthur", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  2. ^ "No. 33566". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1929. p. 7.
  3. ^ "No. 34166". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1935. p. 3592.
  4. ^ "Donmar Warehouse reveals complete cast for "When Winston Went to War with the Wireless"". WhatsOnStage.com. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
Trade union offices
Preceded by Assistant General Secretary of the British Steel Smelters' Association
1906 – 1917
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by
New position
General Secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
1917–1935
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Trades Union Congress
1926
Succeeded by
Preceded by
New position
Iron, Steel and Minor Metal Trades representative on the General Council of the TUC
1921 – 1935
With: William Kean
Succeeded by
Preceded by Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour
1927
With: Will Sherwood
Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by President of the Workers' Educational Association
1926 – 1928
Succeeded by