David Holmes (trade unionist)

British trade unionist

This article is about the British trade unionist. For other people, see David Holmes.

David Holmes

Holmes in 1895

Born| November 16, 1843

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Died| January 14, 1906(1906-01-14) (aged 62)

United Kingdom

Occupation| Trade unionist

David Holmes (16 November 1843 - 14 January 1906) was a British trade unionist.

Born in Manchester, Holmes worked as a weaver from the age of 8. When he was ten, he ran away from home to live with an uncle in Padiham. He continued weaving but also received some education at the local Unitarian chapel.[1]

Early in the 1860s, Holmes married and the couple moved to Burnley. There, he was a leading founder member of the Burnley Weavers' Association. In 1871, he was elected as its president and served until his death. He focused his activities on promoting collective bargaining for wages; he opposed the eight-hour day and supported child labour, as he believed that they contributed to the weavers' comparative advantage over workers elsewhere.

Despite his moderation, he was blacklisted by employers and instead took work as a rag-and-bone man to support his family, alongside his union role. In 1878, he led the union in part of a major but unsuccessful county-wide strike. That led, in 1884, to the creation of the Northern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers, with Holmes as president.[1]

Holmes was a member of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), where he opposed the new unions, which organised unskilled labour, and attended various international conferences representing the organisation.[1]

Politically, Holmes was a supporter of the Liberal Party, and he served on Burnley Town Council. He was an opponent of socialism and of the Labour Party when it emerged. However, his protégé and designated successor, David Shackleton, would join the Labour Party.[1]

Holmes stood down from the TUC in 1902 and became less active elsewhere.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Duncan Bythell, "Holmes, David", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Trade union offices

Preceded by

New position

|  President of the Burnley Weavers' Association
1870 - 1906  | Succeeded by

Robert Pollard

Preceded by

New position

|  President of the Northern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers
1884 - 1906  | Succeeded by

David Shackleton

Preceded by

New position

|  President of the United Textile Factory Workers' Association
1889 - 1890s  | Succeeded by

William Mullin

Preceded by

John Burns

|  Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress
1894  | Succeeded by

Edward Cowey

Preceded by

New position

|  Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour
1894
With:  John Burns | Succeeded by

Edward Cowey and James Mawdsley

* v
* t
* e

United Textile Factory Workers' Association

General Secretaries|

* 1889: Thomas Birtwistle
* 1892: James Mawdsley
* 1902: Joseph Cross
* 1925: James Bell
* 1931: Cephas Speak
* 1943: Ernest Thornton
* 1953: Harold Bradley
* 1958: James Milhench
* 1968: Joseph Richardson

Presidents|

* 1889: David Holmes
* 1890s: William Mullin
* 1913: William C. Robinson
* 1919: Walter Gee
* 1924: William Thomasson
* 1935: Archie Robertson
* 1953: William Roberts
* 1958: Harold Chorlton
* 1964: Jim Browning

Affiliates|

* Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers (Hand and Machine)

* Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners (Bolton
* Oldham
* Preston)

* Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association

* Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (NW Lancs)

* Amalgamated Weavers' Association (Accrington
* Ashton
* Blackburn
* Bolton
* Burnley
* Burnley and Nelson
* Chorley
* Colne
* Darwen
* Great Harwood
* Hyde
* Manchester & Salford
* Nelson
* Oldham
* Padiham
* Preston
* Rochdale
* Rossendale)

* Cardroom Amalgamation (Bolton
* Hyde
* Northern
* Oldham
* Rochdale
* SE Lancs
* Stockport)

* General Union of Lancashire and Yorkshire Warp Dressers' Association

* General Union of Loom Overlookers

* Lancashire Amalgamated Tape Sizers' Friendly Society

* Operative Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers Association

Associated organisations|

* North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association
* Northern Counties Textile Trades Federation

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