Historical directory of trade unions.: (Including unions in building and construction, agriculture fishing, chemicals, wood and woodworking, transport engineering and metal working, government, civil and public service, shipbuilding, energy and extraction in the United Kingdom and Irelan) - Vol. 6,

Despite widespread interest in the trade union movement and its history, it has never been easy to trace the development of individual unions, especially those now defunct, or where name changes or mergers have confused the trail.

In this respect the standard histories and industrial studies tend to stimulate curiosity rather than satisfy it.

When was a union founded? When did it merge or dissolve itself, or simply disappear?

What records survive and where can further details of its history be found?

These are the kinds of question the Directory sets out to answer.