Arthur Pugh

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Arthur Pugh

Sir Arthur Pugh CBE (19 January 1870 – 2 August 1955) was a British trade unionist.

Born in Ross-on-Wye, Pugh was apprenticed to a farmer who also worked as a butcher, but soon moved to Neath to work in the steel industry, where he became active in the British Steel Smelters' Association. In 1901, he moved to Frodingham, Lincolnshire, and he became first Assistant Secretary and then Office Secretary of the union. In 1917, he played a leading role in the formation of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) and the British Iron, Steel and Kindred Trades Association, becoming the first General Secretary of the ISTC. He served as President of the Trades Union Congress in 1926, during the UK General Strike, was on the economic consultative committee of the League of Nations, and was active in running the Daily Herald newspaper. He retired from his union posts in 1935, and wrote Men of Steel, a history of the metal-workers trade unions.

Pugh was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1930 New Year Honours for public services, and knighted in the 1935 Birthday and Silver Jubilee Honours.

He was featured in Jack Thorne's 2023 play When Winston Went to War with the Wireless, played by Elliott Rennie.