Joseph Cross

Joseph Cross (1859–1925) was a British trade unionist. Cross worked as a weaver, based in Darwen in Lancashire. He began to take an interest in trade union matters and joined the Blackburn and District Weavers' Association. He was elected vice-president of the Society and later president and trustee. During the time he served on the committee he was instrumental in promoting a system of mill representatives. It was around this time that Cross and a few more enthusiasts succeeded in forming the Blackburn and District Trades and Labour Council, which he chaired for seven years. In 1892, he was appointed secretary of the Darwen Weavers' Association, and two years later became secretary of the Blackburn Weavers' Association. In 1902, Cross was also elected as secretary of the United Textile Factory Workers' Association, a federation of most cotton workers' unions which focused on political matters; he held the post until his death. In September 1905, he accepted the position of Labour correspondent on the Board of Trade for the Blackburn Division of East Lancashire. The local weavers' associations were members of the Amalgamated Weavers' Association, and Cross was elected as its general secretary in March 1906. On receiving this appointment, Cross resigned from his position on the Trades Council. Efforts were made to induce him to continue in the office, but to no effect. Under his leadership, membership of the association rose from 88,000 to peak at 224,000 in 1921. He also oversaw the reduction of the working week from 52.5 to 48 hours for weavers. In May 1912 he was appointed to represent the textile trade unions upon the Advisory Committee for England under the National Insurance Act.