David Arthur Charles Lambert (2 September 1933 – 19 May 2023) was a British textile and garment workers'

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 ( ...

leader. Lambert grew up in

Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town and unparished area in the North Hertfordshire Districts of England, district in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 35,842. History Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce peopl ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, where he attended the

Hitchin Boys' School Hitchin Boys' School (HBS) is an academy-status secondary school, with sixth form, located in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 1632 by John Mattocke, the single-sex school currently educates around 1,500 male pupils. The sixth fo ...

. On leaving school, he found work making hosiery for a large company, and joined the

National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers 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 ...

(NUHKW). From 1964, he worked full-time for the union, and he was elected as its general secretary in 1975.Lambert, David Arthur Charles
, ''

Who's Who ''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...

'' In 1982, Lambert changed roles to become the general president of the NUHKW. He led the union into a merger which formed the National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades (KFAT), and continued as general president of the new union until 1994. In 1988, his description of the closure of the apparently viable Mansfield Knitwear Company -as like amputating the torso of the industry at a stroke- was referenced by Alan Meale in an adjournment debate where he criticised the dumping of cheap knitwear in the UK. In 1992, he also became the president of the

International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) was a global union federation. In 2005 it had 217 member organizations in 110 countries, representing a combined membership of over 10 million workers. History The ITGLW ...

, retiring in 1996. Lambert was elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress in 1984 and served for ten years. He also served on the

Employment Appeal Tribunal The Employment Appeal Tribunal is a tribunal in England and Wales and Scotland, and is a superior court of record. Its primary role is to hear appeals from Employment Tribunals in England, Scotland and Wales. It also hears appeals from decisions o ...

, retiring from this last post in 2004. Lambert died on 19 May 2023, at the age of 89.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, David 1933 births 2023 deaths Trade unionists from Hertfordshire General secretaries of British trade unions Presidents of the General Federation of Trade Unions (UK) Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People educated at Hitchin Boys' School People from Hitchin