Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1954-2008. (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
2.309 cubic metres (250 boxes).
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Wales Trades Union Council/Cyngor Undebau Llafur Cymru (Wales TUC) was established by constitution in 1974 at an Inaugural Conference in Aberystwyth. It was created by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in response to campaigning by Tom Jones, Shotton (Transport & General Workers' Union), Dai Francis (National Union of Mineworkers) and Harold Jones of Plaid Cymru Trade Union Group to provide a specifically Welsh national forum for campaigning on labour issues. George Wright, then Regional Secretary of the Transport & General Workers' Union (TGWU), was elected to serve as the first General Secretary of the Wales TUC. He held the post on a voluntary, part-time basis until 1983. He was succeeded by David Jenkins (1984-2004) and Felicity Williams (2004-2008). The organisation was structured into an Annual Conference, a General Council, meeting quarterly, an Executive Committee, and sub-committees for Economic & Industrial Development, Transport & Communications, Finance & General Purposes, Health, Welfare & Social Services, and Local Government, Housing & Education. In 1980, the structure was amended, so that there were four main committees, Economic Policy, Social Policy, General Purposes and Executive, and seven subordinate committees: advisory committees for Technology, Coal and Steel, Pensioners, Arts, Campaign for Economic & Social Advance, Women's, and a Labour Party Liaison Committee. The major role of the Wales TUC is to co-ordinate the trade union approach to the National Assembly of Wales to ensure that the interests of Welsh trade unionists are properly represented in the government decision-making process. Wales TUC continues to work actively in areas such as economic strategy, social policy, employment law, devolution, education and a wide range of equality issues. Currently the Wales TUC has a regional structure which reflects the four economic regions of Wales (North Wales, Mid Wales, South West Wales and South East Wales) and matches the regional committee areas of the National Assembly. These committees are responsible for the delivery of Wales TUC policy and campaigns in each region and also for liaising with local government. Martin Mansfield is the current General Secretary (2012).
Archival history
The records were held by the Wales TUC prior to their transfer to NLW.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited by Wales TUC Cymru, Cardiff, per Mr. Simon Jones, Research and Administrative Officer, 1993; 0200212016, 0200512201
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records, 1954-2008, of the Wales Trades Union Council Cymru including administrative records, 1968-2002; committee minutes and papers, 1968-1995; General Council material, 1992-1999; conference materials, 1974-2005; and printed materials, 1972-2000. -- The 2002 accrual comprises administrative records, 1968-2002; conference materials, 1974-2002; committee minutes and papers, 1968-1992; and Wales TUC publications and various other printed material, 1972-2000. -- The 2005 accrual comprises administrative records, 1979-1998; conference materials, 1992-2005; material related to the work of the General Council, 1993-1999; and committee minutes and papers, 1979-1995. -- The 2006 accrual comprises General Council records, 1995-1999. -- The 2007 accrual comprises administrative records, 1974-2003; General Council records, 1974-1982; conference materials, 1981-2004; published and printed material, 1975-2003; research papers, 1954-2004. -- The 2009 accrual comprises General Council records, 1998-2008; conference material, 2007. -- Previous deposits, 1992-1996, now included in this catalogue, include administrative records, 1974-1995, including financial accounts; committee and working group materials, 1974-1995; annual conference papers, 1974-1994; women's conference papers, 1983-1994; TUC circulars, 1983-1994; material related to various campaigns, elections, rallies and demonstrations, 1976-1994; subject files, 1974-1995; General Council records, 1981-1995; and press releases, 1985-1994.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records deposited in NLW have been retained apart from duplicates, which have been destroyed. (see appraisal form LST/2012/2).
Accruals
Accruals to the collection are likely.
System of arrangement
Arranged at NLW in 14 sections: constitution and status, annual conferences, General Council, committees, organisation, general purposes, economic and industrial, public and social services, administrative records, additional committees, General Council minutes, conferences, printed material, and research papers.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions noted on the 'Modern papers - data protection' form issued with their Readers' Tickets.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright laws apply.
Language of material
- English
- Welsh
Script of material
Language and script notes
Mostly English, with some Welsh.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Hard copies of the catalogues of the two earliest deposits, 1992 and 1996, are available at NLW.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
GEAC system control number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Wales TUC -- Archives (Subject)
- Trades Union Congress (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
This description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) Second Edition; AACR II; and local subject headings and genre/form thesauri.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
June 2012.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by Lorena Troughton.
Archivist's note
The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: England, Joe, The Wales TUC 1974-2004 (Cardiff, 2004), the Wales TUC website http://www.wtuc.org.uk (accessed 3 March 2005 and 20 June 2012), and material from within the archive itself;