c.1865 Scottish Engineering Founded

Scottish Engineering can trace its roots through antecedents back to 1865.  The organisation is an amalgamation of a number of mainly smaller employers’ associations in Scotland, and it took over 100 years before they all finally came together, as one body, representing the engineering industry throughout the whole of Scotland.  

In the Beginning…..

The first President of the Engineering and Allied Employers’ East of Scotland Association was David C. Mudie in 1865.  Various Presidents followed, the longest serving being Sir William Wallace from 1918 to 1947.  Whether or not a reincarnation of another of the same name will never be known!  What is known is that Wallace was the Managing Director of a well-known engineering firm of the time, Brown Brothers.  By 1940 (if not sooner) other prominent members were MacTaggart Scott & Co Ltd and Bruce Peebles & Co Ltd.   

What about elsewhere in Scotland?

Other engineering employers’ associations existed autonomously in Scotland, and were formed in the late 19th Century or early 20th Century, as shown in the following table: 

The first to merge with Scottish Engineering Employers’ Association was Kilmarnock in April 1961, bringing overall membership up to 386 companies, followed by Dundee in December 1974, and finally Aberdeen in April 1978 – creating a unified employers’ body, representing the interests of engineering and manufacturing throughout Scotland. 

The first to merge with Scottish Engineering Employers’ Association was Kilmarnock in April 1961, bringing overall membership up to 386 companies, followed by Dundee in December 1974, and finally Aberdeen in April 1978.  In other words, it was not until 1978 that a unified employers’ body existed, representing the interests of engineering and manufacturing throughout Scotland.  A dinner was held in Glasgow to commemorate the occasion.

In theWest

The earliest recorded Minute was a meeting of shipbuilders on the Clyde, held at the Religious Institute Rooms, St George’s Place, Glasgow, on 10th July 1865.  The purpose was to discuss a reduction (yes, a reduction) in wages for carpenters, joiners and blacksmiths.  It became customary for meetings of employers’ associations to adopt ‘resolutions’ and on that day a resolution was adopted that the wage reductions would be carpenters 6 shillings per week, joiners and blacksmiths 3 shillings per week.  

In 1947 the first floor of 105 West George Street was acquired and was ‘reconstructed internally and equipped as satisfactorily as post-war conditions would permit’.  In that same year, the East of Scotland Association joined forces with the North-West, and two years’ later in 1949 the name Scottish Engineering Employers’ Association was adopted.   

The 1970's

The 1970s was a busy decade of employment legislation, which was to have a profound effect on the work of the Association, the list below shows the enactments in the 1970s. 

Equal Pay Act; Industrial Relations Act (repealed 1974); Contracts of Employment Act; Employment and Training Act; Health and Safety at Work etc. Act; Trade Union and Labour Relations Act; Social Security Pensions Act; Employment Protection Act; Sex Discrimination Act; Industry Act; Scottish Development Agency Act. 

The EU played a significant role in shaping social and employment policy, and increasingly Scottish Engineering and its predecessor were guiding and advising member firms on the growing influence of employment legislation stemming from the EU. 

The 1980's

Social and employment legislation accelerated in the 1980s, and Scottish Engineering assisted members with the changing legislation. 

The 1990's

Perhaps the most significant influence was the Working Time Directive in 1993, controversially adopted by qualified majority voting as a health and safety measure.  Others included the Acquired Rights Directive (from which TUPE derives), the Equal Pay Directive, the Works Council Directive, and measures extending rights and protections to workers in areas such as pregnancy and maternity leave, fixed term and part-time working, collective redundancy consultation, and posting of workers within the EU, to name a few. 

An up-to-date example is age discrimination legislation in force in the UK since 2006, again instigated by an EU Framework Directive on equality.  In modern times, those developments exemplified Scottish Engineering’s role in providing service to its member firms, centred around advice, guidance and support.  

The 2000's

In 2009 Scottish Engineering ceased to be members of the EEF (Engineering Employers’ Federation), but maintained a working relationship for mutual co-operation on surveys and input to Westminster and EU politicians and officials. 

The launch of Scottish Engineering coincided with the development of a Mission Statement, which reads as follows: 

To successfully promote the Scottish engineering industry and its interests in Scotland, in the United Kingdom and in Europe, and to provide market leader, high quality practical support services in all aspects of employment. 

The Mission Statement remains valid to the present day.   

2018

Scottish Engineering undertook a branding review – holding focus groups with key stakeholders and rebranded in May 2019. Whilst proud of the history, the organisation is focused on the future, and the need to stay relevant to a changing and developing workplace and sector. 

The 2020's

In January 2020 the UK left the EU, Scottish Engineering assisted members to navigate changes in legislation, tariffs, visas and many other areas that impacted business. 

In 2020 Scottish Engineering won the contract to run the Rail Cluster for Scotland, over the coming years the Cluster offering expanded to include the management of the Forth & Tay Offshore Wind Cluster, a Scottish element of the Smart Manufacturing data Hub and a Net Zero Skills Programme. 

2025

Scottish Engineering continues to speak-up on behalf of members, most recently leading on a skills survey to capture the skills demand within the sector – this was a massive data gathering exercise which has been used to demonstrate the requirement for additional apprenticeship funding. 

The organisation continues to evolve to reflect member needs -  membership has grown to over 550 members spanning all aspects of engineering.