National Union of Textile Workers
The National Union of Textile Workers (NUTW) was a United Kingdom trade union for textile workers, mainly in Yorkshire. It existed from 1922 to 1936 and was based at 84 Godwin Street, Bradford. It formed when the General Union of Textile Workers merged with the National Society of Dyers and Finishers and the Yeadon, Guiseley and District Factory Workers' Union.
Membership grew quickly: about 52,876 by the end of 1923 and around 65,496 in 1926. The Great Depression hit hard, and disputes between different worker groups weakened the union. The Pattern Weavers' Society split away in 1930. By 1933, membership had fallen to about 36,000.
Ben Turner served as General President and Arthur Shaw as General Secretary. Turner later resigned as president, and it was agreed that future presidents would not be full-time salaried.
The union worked with others in the Federation of Unions in the Bleaching, Dyeing, Finishing, and Calico Printing Trades, and allied with the Amalgamated Society of Dyers, Bleachers and Kindred Trades, and the Operative Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers Association. In 1936, the three unions merged to form the National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers.
The NUTW sponsored Labour Party candidates in elections, and Turner won parliamentary seats twice.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:41 (CET).