It brought together local organisations around the UK, but it did not include the larger unions based in London and Edinburgh.

[1] In June 1836, the first chief secretary of the union, James Winkworth, claimed to have lost money provided to him to pay a printers' bill.

The headquarters moved to Manchester in 1858, by which time finances were again weak, as the unemployment benefit had been unexpectedly costly.

[1] The union established a general council for the first time in 1900, and this decided to affiliate to the Labour Representation Committee.

Its membership continued to grow, and in 1908 it appointed an assistant secretary, W. H. Dyer defeating Robert Banner in a ballot.