Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries

Collection includes: Rules of the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries; Annual Reports 1918-1939; agenda for annual conference. Pamphlets include: 'The cost of living for women clerical workers: some facts and figures' 1922; 'New employment insurance rules' 1928; 'The women clerk and her rights' 1929; 'Guide to the benefits and social services of the Association' 1931; 'Healthy offices for clerical workers' 1934. Journal 'The Woman Clerk' 1918-1931, 'Newsletter' 1927-1941.

The Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries was formed in 1903 as the Association of Shorthand Writers and Typists. Initially the membership of the ASWT was not confined to women, but they always took the leading role, and the change of name to 'AWCS' in 1912 reflected the reality on the ground. In 1941 it merged with the National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers (founded in 1890 as the National Union of Clerks), to form APEX, initially known as the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union.

Open to bona fide researchers by appointment, at the discretion of the TUC Librarian.

Library Catalogue http://emu.londonmet.ac.uk:2082/search~S7

Description by Catherine Burke, Genesis Project Officer 2002. Submitted to the Archives Hub in 2008 as part of the Genesis 2008 Project.

Photocopying is permitted within the terms of copyright legislation, although copying of some items including fragile material is at the discretion of the librarian.

The Women's Library also holds the papers of the Federation of Women Civil Servants (6FCS ), and the National Association of Women Civil Servants (6NCS). The British Postal Museum & Archive also holds material on women clerks.The Women's Library Printed Collection also holds 'The woman clerk: the organ of the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries' bound in 'Waverley. The woman clerk. The woman teacher' available on microfilm. 'Opportunity: the organ of the Women Civil Servants Joint Committee (Federation of Women Civil Servants and AWCS Civil Service Section)' available on microfilm. 'Why women clerks should organise' by Edith Crohn 1918, class number 331.4816510941 CRO. Some additional Annual reports and leaflets are held in the Printed Collections UDC Pamphlet Collection, such as leaflets 'The Need for Combination Among Women Clerical Workers' 1915, class 331.88:651:396 and 'The Woman Clerk and her Rights...' 1929 class 351.83:653. The Working Class Movement Library holds additional records of APEX, the successor body to the Association of Women Clerks & Secretaries (AWCS) as well as papers from AWCS. The Trades union Congress library, London Metropolitan University holds publications by the Association of Women Clerks & Secretaries ref HD 6661 Z7

Marsh, Arthur & Ryan, Victoria, The Clerks: a history of APEX, 1890-1989, Malthouse P., 1997