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© F.Coakley , 2026
[from A.M Harrision's Descriptive List of Insular Societies]
At a meeting of representatives of Trade Union Societies held on September 25th, 1894, at which representatives from the Painters, Joiners, Labourers, Coachbuilders, and Typographical Associations were present, it was decided that a Council of Trade Union Societies be formed, and that such Council should be called 'The Douglas Trades and Labour Council'. The Council and its rules were confirmed at a special general meeting of the Trade Union Societies of Douglas held on November 15th. 1894. The Council reported its own formation in its annual report for the year November 1894 - November 1895, which was published in full in the Isle of Man Examiner of 30 November, 1895.
In the 14 council meetings of the year it had worked on the variety of local labour issues as they arose, from the question of the insertion of the 'Fair wage' clause in all the contracts issued by the Douglas Town Commissioners, deputations to Members of the House of Keys to promote the extension of the 'Trades Union Act' to the Island and an application to the Lieutenant-Governor for an equitable distribution of work schemes throughout the town's tradesmen or else their letting out by tender. They were aware of the need to attract other unions and the conclusion of the report was that 'the formation of the Council has been the cause of greatly benefitting Trade Unionism in the town, and has been the means of strengthening the various societies composing the Council'. An interesting departure for the Council, which was active throughout the boom period of Douglas's development, with all its concomitant labour problems and reform initiatives, was its joining together with the Manx I.L.P. in April 1909 to form a joint committee of twelve members, six from each, as the Labour Representation Committee, exactly in the manner of the London Parliamentary party, in order to adopt a candidate for the North Douglas Election in May, fought chiefly on the question of Old Age Pensions. In the event the emergence of a pro-pension candidate from the Progressive Political Party offered the Labour party a tactical voting option and this was taken in preference to direct action. The Council was recorded in full action in 1916.
M.N.H.L., Isle of Man newspapers ut supra et passim, especially Isle of
Man Examiner.
I am informed that the records of all past Labour societies were, very regrettably,
destroyed in the1980's.
Alfred Teare, Reminiscences of the Manx Labour Party (Douglas. 1962).
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