National Association of Co-operative Officials

2,500Bob Lister, Interim General SecretaryPublicationThe Co-operative OfficialAffiliationsTUC, STUC

The National Association of Co-operative Officials (NACO) was a trade union for staff in the co-operative sector in the United Kingdom, principally the Co-operative Group and other retail societies, Co-operatives UK and the Co-operative Party.

History

The union was founded in 1917, as the National Union of Co-operative Officials. In 1970, it merged with the National Co-operative Managers Association, and with the Co-operative Secretaries Association, adopting its current name.^[1]

NACO historically represented professionals and management in the sector, with general unions, principally the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), recruiting among shop-floor and administrative workers. In the 2010s, NACO began, with the support of Co-operatives UK, to widen its base and end the division between 'officials' and 'administrators'. By 2017, it represented managers at the Co-operative Group, Central England Co-operative, Channel Islands Co-operative, Chelmsford Star Co-operative, East of England Co-operative, Heart of England Co-operative, Lincolnshire Co-operative, Midcounties Co-operative, Scotmid and Southern Co-operative.^[2]

By 2017, membership of the union had fallen, leaving it concerned about its ability to continue as an independent organisation. As a result, it entered into discussions with USDAW about merging into that union's Supervisory, Administrative and Technical Association.^[2] In February 2018, 82% of NACO members voted for the merger, which was completed in May.^[3]

General Secretaries

1917: E. Emery

1920s: Robert Simpson

1942: Robert Calderwood

1952: Arthur Potts

1977: Lindsay Ewing

2006: Neil Buist

2015: Bob Lister (interim)

References

External links

• Official website
• The National Co-operative Archive holds records relating to the National Association of Co-operative Officials.