The union was founded in after a strike at the David Colville and Sons Works in Motherwell in 1885.

This succeeded in preventing third-hand melters from being laid off, and one of them, John
Hodge became the secretary of the new union, founded in 1886. Although its founders were all
based in Scotland, it rapidly spread into England and Wales, having 750 members by 1888, and
2,700 in 1890. In 1899, its name was lengthened to the British Steel Smelters, Mill, Iron, Tinplate
and Kindred Trades Association, as it attempted to recruit other metalworkers. However, this
faced strong opposition from other unions in the industry, including the National Blastfurnacemen's
Federation, the Associated Iron and Steel Workers of Great Britain, and the Tin and Sheet Millmen's
Association.[1] A few smaller unions merged into the BSSA, including the Amalgamated Society of
Enginemen, Cranemen and Firemen, in 1912.[2]