The Root of Unions

Liverpool is a socialist city, arguably the most socialist city in the UK. Unions are important to the city, not just work based unions but student unions like our own and the other universities in the city. Liverpool University is arguably the oldest student union in England formed in 1889 and Liverpool student union was formed not long after in 1913, but unions in the city were already taking shape and influencing decisions. The roots of unions are found in the polytechnic society. This society related very strongly to the work that the Liverpool school of mechanics offered, the school that evolved into LJMU will have had members in this society after education. The Liverpool Polytechnic Society was established on 23 October, 1838, for the encouragement of the useful arts and of inventions. After initially meeting at the Medical Institution, the Society met in the Royal Institution, Colquitt St.

The minimum annual subscription was at first, ten shillings. The Society was dissolved for lack of funds and because it was felt to have outlived its usefulness, in 1898. However the society met as a union and showed in many ways how student unions operate today. They made decisions as a unit, they had a president and they had delegated roles that developed over time. They encouraged people to better themselves and to make the city and people’s lives that little bit better. The most fascinating discovery is like student unions they had excursions, days out for the members that is of course very similar to the nights out and the trips that groups within the Liverpool student union participate in today. The polytechnic society wasn’t a student society but it offered many ideals that student unions would later on undertake and shows why student unions could achieve so much in the city of Liverpool.