The National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association (NAFTA) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

representing workers involved in making furniture in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

History

The union was founded in 1902 from the merger of the Alliance Cabinet Makers' Association and the United Operative Cabinet and Chairmakers Society of Scotland. In 1911, the Amalgamated Society of Gilders and Amalgamated Society of French Polishers both merged into the new organisation.Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union
,

Working Class Movement Library The Working Class Movement Library (WCML) is a collection of English language books, periodicals, pamphlets, archives and artefacts, relating to the development of the political and cultural institutions of the working class created by the Industr ...

In 1907, the union had 7,007 members. In 1946, the union merged with the

Amalgamated Union of Upholsterers The Amalgamated Union of Upholsterers (AUU) was a trade union representing upholstery workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in Liverpool in 1891, with the merger of local trade unions based in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, ...

to form the

National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives The National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives (NUFTO) was a trade union in the United Kingdom representing furniture makers. The union was founded in 1947 by the merger of the National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association and the Amalga ...

Election results

In its early years, the union sponsored several Labour Party candidates, some of whom won election. {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Election !! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position , - , 1906 general election , ,

Leeds East Leeds East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Richard Burgon of the Labour Party. The constituency is notable for having been represented by Denis Healey who was the MP from 1955 to 1992. ...

, , , , 4,299 , , 66.1 , , 1

Frank Bealey Frank William Bealey (31 August 1922 – 18 January 2013) was a British political scientist who was a pioneering founder of the academic study of politics and was a campaigner for democracy in Eastern Europe. Life Born in Bilston, Bealey was edu ...

and Henry Pelling, ''Labour and Politics, 1900-1906'', pp.290-292 , - , 1910 Jan general election , ,

, , , , 5,873 , , 71.8 , , 1 , - , 1910 Dec general election , ,

, , , , 4,028 , , 68.0 , , 1 , - , 1918 general election , , Leeds South East , , , , unopposed , , ''N/A'' , , 1''Labour Year Book'' (1919), pp.12-14 , - , 1918 general election , , Plymouth Devonport , , , , 4,115 , , 19.3 , , 2 , - , 1923 general election , ,

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

, , , , 16,346 , , 34.2 , , 1 , - , 1924 general election , ,

, , , , 17,888 , , 33.4 , , 2 , - , 1925 by-election , ,

Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to ...

, , , , 11,629 , , 48.5 , , 1 , - , 1929 general election , , Hammersmith North , , {{sortname, James Patrick, Gardner , , 17,601 , , 56.2 , , 1

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1902: Harry Ham :1905: Alex GossipVictor Leonard Allen, ''Power in Trade Unions: A Study of Their Organization in Great Britain'', p.284 :1941:

Alf Tomkins Sir Alfred George Tomkins (9 March 1895''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007'' – 6 May 1975) was a long-serving British trade union leader. Tomkins worked as a chair-maker and joined the National Amalgamated Furnishing ...

Parliamentary Secretaries

:1906:

James O'Grady Sir James O'Grady, (6 May 1866 – 10 December 1934) was a trade unionist and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the first colonial governor appointed by the Labour Party from within its own ranks. Early life O'Grady was b ...

:1919:

James Patrick Gardner James Patrick Gardner (5 March 1883 – 25 July 1937) was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. Born in Belfast, he was educated by the Christian Brothers there before taking up the trade of architectural sculptor. He moved to Hamm ...

:1937: F. E. Sweetman

Assistant General Secretaries

:1907: H. A. Urie :1937:

:1946: Alf Bickness

References

Trade unions established in 1902 Trade unions disestablished in 1946 Furniture industry trade unions Trade unions based in London