The National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives (NUFTO) 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 ( ...

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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

representing furniture makers. The union was founded in 1947 by the merger of the

National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association The National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association (NAFTA) was a trade union representing workers involved in making furniture in the United Kingdom. History The union was founded in 1902 from the merger of the Alliance Cabinet Makers' Assoc ...

and 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, ...

. By the 1960s, the union was keen to merge with other in its sector; in 1969, it absorbed the

United French Polishers' Society {{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom The United French Polishers' Society was a trade union representing french polishers in the United Kingdom. History The union was founded in 1901, and appears to have largely consisted ...

, and the following year, the Midland Glass Bevellers' and Kindred Trades' Society joined.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, ''Historical Directory of British Trade Unions'', vol.3, p.332 By 1971, the union had 60,754 members and, that year, it merged with the Amalgamated Society of Woodcutting Machinists to form the

Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union The Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union (FTAT) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. History The union was founded in 1971 by the merger of the National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives (NUFTO) and the Amalgamated Society of Woodcu ...

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections. {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Election !! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position , - , rowspan=2, 1964 general election , , Newcastle upon Tyne North , , , , 12,515 , , 39.1 , , 2 , - , Nottingham South , , , , 21,046 , , 41.0 , , 2 , - , 1970 general election , , Shoreditch and Finsbury , , {{sortname, Ronald, Brown, Ronald Brown (English politician) , , 14,474 , , 66.9 , , 1

General Secretaries

:1947–1971:

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 ...

V. L. Allen, ''Power in trade unions'', p.284

References

Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom 1947 establishments in the United Kingdom Furniture industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1947 Trade unions disestablished in 1971 Trade unions based in London