ABS

ABS, the union with which NATTKE amalgamated, had its origins in the discussions which took place in the late 1930s on the establishment of staff representation in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Although these discussions were ended by the BBC on the outbreak of war in September 1939, those who had been involved in the discussions on the staff side established the BBC Staff (Wartime) Association in May 1940 and the Association of BBC Engineers in 1941.

These two internal organisations amalgamated in 1945 to form the BBC Staff Association.

Widely regarded at this period as a 'house' organisation, and not affiliated to the British Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Staff Association faced bitter attacks on its position in the late 1940s by a number of affiliated trades unions (including NATKE, ETU and ACT) which, under the aegis of the TUC, sought recognition from the BBC.

The attack on the staff association's position, however, had only limited success. The crucial report of the Beveridge Committee on the future of broadcasting in 1951 acknowledged the association's independence of the BBC and its recommendation on the recognition of outside trades unions was implemented in a way that preserved the association's position as the main organisation representing BBC staff.

Recognition jointly with the association for limited and specified grades was given in the period 1954-1958 to the ETU, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the NATKE and the National Union of Printing Bookbinding and Paper Workers (NUPBPW).

The ACT was never able to secure recognition by the BBC, although its efforts to do so caused severe damage for at least twenty years to its relationship with the ABS.

In March 1956 the association's title was changed to the Association of Broadcasting Staff (ABS). This reflected the association's bid to extend its authority after the breaking of the BBC's monopoly in 1954 into commercial television. That bid led to the inter-union war of 1955-1957 at the end of which the ABS was ousted from the independent television companies (where recognition went to ACT, ETU, NATKE and NUJ) but was recognised by the Independent Television (subsequently Broadcasting) Authority as the sole representative body for its staff.

In 1963 the ABS, under Leslie Littlewood (General Secretary 1946-1968), was accepted as an affiliate by the TUC and in the following twenty years established a powerful and financially strong position as the dominant union in British public service broadcasting.