Society of Graphical and Allied Trades

File:SOGAT crest.jpg

The SOGAT crest

File:Sogat House, Oval, London.jpg

The former SOGAT House at Oval, London. Photo taken July 2007.

The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was a British trade union in the printing industry.

History

SOGAT was formed in 1966 by the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers and the National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA). The National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers became the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades Division A and NATSOPA became the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades Division 1. The aim was to achieve a complete merger over time, but differences led to in-fighting and in 1970 the two divisions split, Division A retaining the name Society of Graphical and Allied Trades and Division 1 becoming the National Society of Operative Printers, Graphical and Media Personnel (but retaining the NATSOPA acronym).

In 1975, SOGAT officially became the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades 1975 (SOGAT '75) after amalgamation with the Scottish Graphical Association. In 1982, SOGAT '75 and NATSOPA finally amalgamated to become the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades 1982 (SOGAT '82). In 1991, SOGAT '82 merged with the National Graphical Association to form the Graphical, Paper and Media Union, which subsequently merged with Amicus to become that union's Graphical, Paper and Media industrial sector.

Election results

The union did not initially sponsor Parliamentary candidates, but shortly after the 1979 general election, it changed its policy. It sponsored Bob Litherland's successful candidacy in the 1979 Manchester Central by-election, and also began sponsoring Ron Leighton, who was already a sitting Member of Parliament.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Election	Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position
1979 by-election	Manchester Central	Template:Sortname	7,494	70.7	1
1983 general election	Manchester Central	Template:Sortname	27,353	65.3	1
	Newham North East	Template:Sortname	19,282	49.7	1
1987 general election	Manchester Central	Template:Sortname	27,428	68.2	1
	Newham North East	Template:Sortname	20,220	51.9	1

General Secretaries

1966: Tom Smith<ref name="history">Template:Cite book</ref>

1970: Vincent Flynn<ref name="history" />

1975: Bill Keys<ref name="history" />

1982: Bill Keys and Owen O'Brien

1985: Brenda Dean

Presidents

1966: John McKenzie<ref name="history" />

1967: Vincent Flynn<ref name="history" />

1970: Bill Keys<ref name="history" />

1975: Albert Powell<ref name="history" />

1983: Brenda Dean<ref name="history" />

1985: Danny Sergeant<ref name="history" />

References

<references />

External links

• Catalogue of the SOGAT archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
• Catalogue of the Printing Machine Branch archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick

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