The Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (ATWU) was a

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

.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 area, ...

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 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 The Burnley, Nelson, Rossendale and District Textile Workers' Union (BNRDTWU) was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Burnley and Nelson areas of Lancashire in England. The union was formed in 1966 with the merger of the ...

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 dispute 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 560,000 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 town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

, 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 :

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 :

:Colne and Craven Textile Workers' Association : Oldham Provincial Union of Textile and Allied Workers : National Union of Textile and Allied Workers, Rochdale and Districts : 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 Text ...

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

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1974: Fred Hague 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