The Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (ATWU) 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 (s ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

.G. P. and S. P. A. Henderson, ''Directory of British Associations & Associations in Ireland'' (8th Edition), p.7

History

The union was founded in 1974, when the

Amalgamated Weavers' Association The Amalgamated Weavers' Association, often known as the Weavers' Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom. Initially, it operated in competition with the North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association in part of its are ...

merged with the

National Union of Textile and Allied Workers The Cardroom Amalgamation or Cardroom Workers' Amalgamation (CWA)Joseph L. White, ''The Limits of Trade Union Militancy'', p.240, note 9 was a British trade union which existed between 1886 and 1974. It represented workers in the cotton textil ...

. The

Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association The Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in the United Kingdom, principally in Lancashire. The union was founded in 1894 as the Amalgamated Society of Clothlookers and War ...

developed close links with the new union, and the two shared a general secretary.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.4, pp.186-187 In 1983, the important Burnley, Nelson, Rossendale and District Textile Workers' Union decided to leave the ATWU, and argued that as its largest affiliate, it should be entitled to a proportionate share of the union's funds. The ATWU disagreed, and the disputed went to the

High Court of England and Wales The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (England ...

, which rejected the Burnley and Nelson union's claim. With widespread redundancies in the industry, the union lost two-thirds of its members before it merged into the

General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (N ...

in 1985. Based in

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

, the union's final general secretary was Jack Brown.

Affiliates

By 1982, the union had the following affiliates: :

Blackburn and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association The Blackburn and District Weavers' Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in Blackburn, Lancashire, in England. One of the earliest weavers' unions to endure, it formed a model that many oth ...

Bolton and District Union of Textile and Allied Workers The Bolton and District Card, Blowing and Ring Room Operatives' Provincial Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Bolton area of Lancashire in England. The longest-established union of cardroom workers, it was ...

: Bolton and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association : Burnley, Nelson, Rossendale and District Textile Workers' Union :Colne and Craven Textile Workers' Association :

Oldham Provincial Union of Textile and Allied Workers Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, ...

National Union of Textile and Allied Workers, Rochdale and Districts National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

: Northern Textile and Allied Workers' Union :

North Lancashire and Cumbria Textile Workers' Association The Preston and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Preston, Lancashire, in England. The union was founded in 1858 as the Preston Power Loom Weavers' Association, although a p ...

North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union The North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union (NWLDCTWU) was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in part of North West England. The union was founded in 1982, when the Bolton and District Union of Texti ...

:Rochdale and Todmorden District of the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union :Southern Area :Staff Section :Wigan

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1974:

Fred Hague Fred Garfield Hague (29 September 1911''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007'' – 13 November 1984) was a British trade unionist. Hague was born in Dixon Street, Crossbank, Waterhead, Oldham. He worked as a cotton weav ...

and Joe King :1975: Fred Hague :1976: Jack Brown

Presidents

:1974: Jim Browning :1976: Joe Quinn :1984: Albert Hilton

References

{{Lancashire Cotton Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Cotton industry trade unions 1974 establishments in the United Kingdom 1985 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1974 Trade unions disestablished in 1985 GMB (trade union) amalgamations Trade unions based in Greater Manchester