Amalgamated Society of Steel and Iron Workers of Great Britain Amalgamated Society of Steel and Iron Workers of Great Britain The Amalgamated Society of Steel and Iron Workers of Great Britain was a trade union representing workers in iron- and steelworks, principally in Scotland. The union was founded in Glasgow in 1888 and was originally named the Associated Society of Millmen. John Hodge of the British Steel Smelters Association (BSSA) acted as the union's first secretary, but he stood down a year later, when members elected their own representative, John Cronin. The union grew rapidly, despite charging new members a one-off fee of 5 shillings, membership reaching 3,000 by 1892,
John Bull the "blue and buff" scheme; this was used by supporters of Whig politics, which was part of what John Arbuthnot wished to deride when he created and designed the character. By the twentieth century, however, his waistcoat nearly always depicts a Union Flag, and his coat is generally dark blue. (Otherwise, however, his clothing still echoes the fashions of the Regency period.) He also wears a low topper (sometimes called a John Bull topper) on his head and is often accompanied by a bulldog. John Bull has been used in a variety of different ad campaigns over the years, and