The National Union of the Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades (NUFLAT) 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 ...

which existed between 1971 and 1991. It represented workers in the leather and

footwear industry Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...

History

The union was founded in 1971, with the merger of the

Amalgamated Society of Leather Workers The Amalgamated Society of Leather Workers was a trade union representing tanners and workers involved in making leather goods in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1872 as the Leeds and District United Tanners' Society. Before the ...

, the

National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1873 and 1971. It represented workers in the footwear industry. History The union was founded in 1873, when many riveters and ...

, the

National Union of Glovers and Leather Workers The National Union of Glovers and Leatherworkers (NUGLW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1920 and 1971. It represented workers in the glove-making and leather industry. History The union was formed in 1920 by the ...

and the

National Union of Leather Workers and Allied Trades {{short description, Former trade union of the United Kingdom The National Union of Leather Workers and Allied Trades was a trade union in the United Kingdom representing workers who made items out of leather. The union was founded in 1928 with th ...

. Although initially a strong union with many

closed shop A pre-entry closed shop (or simply closed shop) is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times to remain employed. This is different fr ...

agreements, its membership fell rapidly due to large-scale redundancies in the industry. In 1991, it merged with the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers to form the

National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades The National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades (KFAT) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. History The National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades was formed in 1991 through the amalgamation of the National Union ...

. By the time of the merger, membership had fallen to 22,894.National Union of Hosiery & Knitwear Workers
Knitting Together After further mergers, this eventually became part of

Community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...

Election results

The union sponsored a Labour Party candidate in several Parliamentary elections. Labour Party, ''Report of the Seventy-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party'', pp.406-431 {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Election !! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position , - , Feb 1974 general election , , Melton , , , , 16,228 , , 23.9 , , 3 , - , 1979 general election , , Northampton South , , {{sortname, Graham, Mason, nolink=1 , , 15,491 , , 40.2 , , 2

Officials

General Presidents

:1971:

Bert Comerford Herbert Comerford (3 November 1915 – July 2005) was a British trade unionist. Biography Born in Northampton, Northamptonshire, he attended Kettering Road Intermediate School. At the age of fifteen, he became a clicker in the shoemaking in ...

:1980: Bob Stevenson

General Secretaries

:1971: T. A. Moore :1973: Bill Jones :1976: Sid Clapham :1983: Gordon Stewart :1988:

George Browett George F. Browett (1929 – November 1994) was a British trade union leader. Born in Northampton, Northamptonshire, Browett began working in a footwear factory when he was sixteen. He joined the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUB ...

References

External links

Catalogue of the NUFLAT archives
held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1971 Trade unions disestablished in 1991 Leather industry trade unions 1971 establishments in the United Kingdom Footwear industry trade unions Trade unions based in Northamptonshire