The Northern Counties Textile Trades Federation was a

trade union federation A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such ...

in northern England.

History

The federation was founded in 1906. By 1907, it brought together unions representing 126,700 members. Despite its name, it only included unions representing workers in the cotton industry; the wool industry and textile finishing were instead covered by the

National Association of Unions in the Textile Trade The National Association of Unions in the Textile Trade (NAUTT) was a trade union federation in the United Kingdom. The federation was founded in 1916. Despite its name, it included unions in only two areas of the textile trade: the wool industry ...

.Edwin Hopwood, ''A History of the Lancashire Cotton Industry and the Amalgamated Weavers' Association'', pp.75-76 Another similar organisation, the

United Textile Factory Workers' Association The United Textile Factory Workers' Association (UTFWA) was a trade union federation in Great Britain. It was active from 1889 until 1975. Objectives The federation was founded in 1889, to represent the various textile workers' unions in poli ...

, devoted itself to political work, and two of its members (the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives and the

Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners, also known as the Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1870 and 1970. It represented male mule spinners in the cotton industry. His ...

) never joined the federation.Lynden Briscoe, ''The Textile and Clothing Industries of the United Kingdom'' By 1960, the federation's members were: * Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers (Hand and Machine) * Amalgamated Tape Sizers' Friendly Protection Society * Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association *

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 ...

* General Union of Loom Overlookers *

Lancashire Amalgamated Tape Sizers' Friendly Society The Lancashire Amalgamated Tape Sizers' Friendly Society was a trade union representing workers involved in the preparation of cotton in the Lancashire area of England. Tape sizing Tape sizing is the process of adding polymers and wax to cotton ...

Lancashire and Yorkshire Warp Dressers' Association The General Union of Lancashire and Yorkshire Warp Dressers' Association was a trade union representing workers involved in preparing warp yarn for weaving who were based in northern England. History The origins of the union lay in the Federa ...

General Secretaries

:1906: Tom Shaw :1919:

Luke Bates Luke Bates (1873 – January 1943) was a British trade union leader. Born in Blackburn, Bates became a weaver, then won election as secretary of the Skipton and District Weavers' and Winders' Association. In 1913, he was instead appointed as ...

:1943:

Andrew Naesmith Sir Andrew Naesmith (24 July 1888 – 23 October 1961) was a British trade union leader. Born in Bonnyrigg in Midlothian, Naesmith grew up in Lancashire, where he worked in a cotton mill,"Obituary: Sir Andrew Naesmith", ''The Times'', 24 Octob ...

:1953: Lewis Wright :1968: Harry Kershaw :c.1970:

Arthur Howcroft Arthur Howcroft (died 25 January 1976) was a British trade union leader. Howcroft worked as a manager in the Bolton cotton mills, and he joined the Bolton and District Managers' and Overlookers' Association. In 1949, he was elected as general sec ...

:1971:

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 weave ...

References

{{Lancashire cotton National trade union centres of the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1906 1906 establishments in the United Kingdom Cotton industry trade unions