The History and Policy Trade Union and Employment Forum (HPTUEF) is a group of
historians, who specialise in trade union and employment history, and trade unionists with an
interest in the history of trade unions and employment. The Forum is linked to the Institute of
Historical Research, based at University College, London.
The core purpose of the Forum is to make links between the history of trade unionism, and
current events and policy developments that affect unions, in consultation with the TUC and
relevant unions.
The Forum achieves this by organising events, at which historians and trade unionists, and
other interested parties, hear from experts on a particular topic and facilitate a general
debate on the matters raised.
The Forum will additionally have a website and a social media platform to publicise and
report on their events and carry blogs and articles by members and others at the discretion
of the Executive Committee.
The Forum will be managed by the Executive Committee (EC), which will comprise a
balance of academics, trade unionists, persons with expertise in the law and persons with
expertise in the media, and other members who they may wish to co-opt. The EC will review
its membership on an annual basis to ensure that the right balance is still being achieved.
The EC will choose from their number a Chair, a Vice Chair and a Secretary. The EC
Officers will serve for a maximum of three years. They may stand for re-election at the end of
that period if they so wish.
The Forum will, from time to time, invite academics and trade unionists who would not want
to join the Committee, but would like to be involved directly in the work of the Forum, to be
Associate members.
The Forum will meet up to six times a year. Outside speakers will be invited to up to three of
those meetings.
The Forum will organise at least two face to face events every year, as well as online shorter
events. Topics for these events will be chosen by the EC. There will be a charge for face-toface events.
The Forum may also organise other events, such as book launches on relevant topics.
Recently for example, the Forum hosted a launch event for the publication of “Walter Citrine
– Forgotten Statesman” by Dr Jim Moher.
The Forum will hold a small budget, comprising money raised at face-to-face events. This
will be used to cover the costs of light refreshments at the event and reimburse travel
expenses for speakers where necessary. It may also be used to reimburse EC members
who have to pay travel expenses in order to attend EC meetings.
About Us
H&P is based at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London.
We are the only project in the UK providing access to an international network of more than 500 historians with a broad range of expertise. H&P offers a range of resources for historians, policy makers and journalists.
