Skip to content

The NUR (National Union of Railwaymen) Grantham Branch

Above: The Grantham Branch banner.

The National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) was formed in March 1913 through an amalgamation of three unions founded in the late 19th century to campaign for better conditions for railway workers across the UK.

By the end of 1913 the NUR had nearly a quarter of a million members, and by 1945 membership had grown to over 400,000.

The NUR was as much an ‘industrial union’ as a ‘trade union’ because it represented most workers in the railway industry, across many trades and grades.  The main exceptions to NUR membership were administrative & management staff and most footplatemen.  Their unions, The Railway Clerks' Association and The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLE&F), had declined to amalgamate.

For most of the 20th century the NUR played a leading role in the British trade union movement, a story which is very well covered elsewhere (see the  links below).

In 1990 the NUR and the National Union of Seamen amalgamated to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).

In Tracks through Grantham we will focus on the local scene in the following pages:

  • The NUR Grantham Branch in the 1920s and 1930s (in preparation)
  • The NUR Women’s Guild, Grantham Branch, in the 1930s (in preparation)

For more on the history and the national activities of the NUR see:

The Grantham Branch remains active: