The Amalgamated Society of Woodcutting Machinists and National Association of Operative Plasterers resigned from the federation in protest, but both rejoined a few years later.
[1] The federation recognised that in rural areas, most small towns and villages had some building workers, but there were not enough in any particular trade to form a branch of one of the affiliated unions.
[3] The federation remained prominent under two long-term secretaries: Richard Coppock from 1920 to 1961, then Harry Weaver,[1] their long tenures partly as a result of not having to seek re-election.
General Council members, on hearing of an issue, would report to their union executives and wait to be told how to vote, before returning and making decisions at the following meeting.
In an attempt to tackle this, in 1964 it was renamed the central council, and all executive members of affiliates could attend, in the hope of enabling immediate policy decisions.