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.

United Textile Factory Workers' Association
Founded1889
Date dissolved1975
Members100,522 (1946)[1]
AffiliationLabour Party
CountryUnited Kingdom

Objectives

The federation was founded in 1889, to represent the various textile workers' unions in political matters.[2] A successor to the Northern Counties Factory Acts Reform Association, it had a broader outlook, not just campaigning on the implementation and extension of the Factory Acts.[3]

The UTFWA initially represented around 125,000 workers,[4] three-quarters within twenty miles of Bolton in Lancashire.[5] By the early twentieth century, its members were organised in the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives, Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers, Amalgamated Weavers' Association, General Union of Loom Overlookers and Operative Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers Association.[6] Later members included the Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen, the General Warp Dressers' Association of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the Ball Warpers' Association.[7]

The new federation had a General Council with about two hundred members of local unions, and a Legislative Council of full-time leaders. However, its member unions did not always engage with its structures, and the General Council did not meet between 1896 and 1899.[8]

Early years

In its early years, the association attempted to introduce a bill reducing working hours, but dropped the proposal after it was only narrowly passed in a ballot of members. It also hoped to sponsor parliamentary candidates for both the Conservative Party and Liberal Party, but decided not to pursue this following a lack of interest from the Conservatives and opposition from James Mawdsley. However, it did achieve some success in campaigning against Indian tariffs on cotton imports, as the rates were reduced to below those on other materials.[9]

In 1902, breaking with its previous policy, the UTFWA supported David Shackleton's candidature for the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in Clitheroe.[10] He was elected and, the following year, the Association affiliated to the LRC.[2] The Cardroom Workers quit the association a few years later after none of its members were adopted as parliamentary candidates, but rejoined in 1916.[11]

In 1920, some of its member unions moved for the association to extend its remit to industrial matters, but this was not adopted.[12]

Demise

The federation was dissolved on 1 December 1975,[13] following the decline of the industry and the merger of its two largest affiliates into the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union.[14]

Election results

The federation sponsored a large number of Labour Party candidates, many of whom won election.

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePositionUnion
1906 general election BoltonAlfred Henry Gill10,41637.12[15][16]Spinners[17]
ClitheroeDavid James Shackleton12,03575.91[15][16]Weavers[17]
1910 Jan general election BoltonAlfred Gill11,86430.52Spinners[17]
ClitheroeDavid Shackleton13,87367.31Weavers[17]
1910 Dec general election BoltonAlfred Gill7,72964.02Spinners[17]
ClitheroeAlbert Smith12,10767.71Weavers[17]
PrestonWilliam Henry Carr7,85323.04Cardroom[17]
1911 by-electionOldhamWilliam Cornforth Robinson7,44824.63Beamers[17]
1918 general election ClitheroeAlfred Davies9,57844.71Spinners[17]
FyldeWilliam John Tout7,40035.12Weavers
Nelson and ColneAlbert Smith14,07562.01Weavers[17]
OldhamWilliam Cornforth Robinson15,17819.63Beamers[17]
OrmskirkJames Bell6,54537.21Weavers
PrestonTom Shaw19,21325.81Weavers
RossendaleGilbert Wright Jones7,98435.12Bleachers
SowerbyJohn William Ogden7,30632.72Weavers
1920 by-electionAshton-under-LyneWilliam Cornforth Robinson8,12739.62Beamers[17]
1922 general election Birmingham DuddestonMichael Brothers8,33138.92[18]Cardroom
ClitheroeAlfred Davies12,91145.32[18]Spinners[17]
EllandWilliam C. Robinson10,59036.81[18]Beamers[17]
Middleton and PrestwichMatthew Burrow Farr10,50541.52[18]Cardroom
OldhamWilliam John Tout24,43427.72[18]Weavers
OrmskirkJames Bell8,37441.32[19]Weavers
PrestonTom Shaw26,25927.91[18]Weavers
RossendaleGilbert Wright Jones11,02936.52[18]Bleachers
RoytonJohn B. Battle5,77619.62[18]Spinners[17]
SowerbyJohn William Ogden7,49625.53[18]Weavers
1923 general election BoltonAlbert Law25,13318.61[20]Spinners[17]
ChorleyZeph Hutchinson12,17945.32[20]Weavers
ClitheroeAlfred Davies11,46937.92[20]Spinners[17]
EllandWilliam C. Robinson12,03149.12[20]Beamers[17]
Middleton and PrestwichMatthew Burrow Farr7,84928.73[20]Cardroom
OldhamWilliam John Tout20,93923.41[20]Weavers
PrestonTom Shaw25,81634.41[20]Weavers
1924 general election BoltonAlbert Law30,63220.93[21]Spinners[17]
ChorleyZeph Hutchinson13,07442.32[21]Weavers
EllandWilliam C. Robinson11,69039.51[21]Beamers[17]
Middleton and PrestwichMatthew Burrow Farr8,44227.02[21]Cardroom
OldhamWilliam Tout23,62319.73[21]Weavers
PrestonTom Shaw27,00926.31[21]Weavers
RossendaleJames Bell9,95132.42[21]Weavers
1925 by-electionOldhamWilliam John Tout21,70245.22[22]Weavers
1929 general election BoltonAlbert Law43,52024.01[23]Spinners[17]
BoltonMichael Brothers37,88820.92[23]Cardroom
BuryJames Bell13,17537.42[23]Weavers
Middleton and PrestwichMatthew Burrow Farr14,36834.62[23]Cardroom
PrestonTom Shaw37,70529.51[23]Weavers
SowerbyWilliam John Tout14,22337.21[23]Weavers
1931 general election BoltonMichael Brothers32,04916.44[24]Cardroom[25]
BoltonAlbert Law33,73617.33[24]Spinners[17]
BuryJames Bell10,53229.72[24]Weavers[25]
Heywood and RadcliffeJames Stott12,91528.52[24]Beamers[25]
Middleton and PrestwichThomas McCall10,79625.42[24]Warehousemen[25]
PrestonTom Shaw25,71018.03[24]Weavers
RoytonGeorge Illingworth5,91314.43[24]Spinners[17]
SowerbyWilliam John Tout11,85731.72[24]Weavers[25]
1935 general election BlackburnJames Bell34,57123.93[26]Weavers[27]
BoltonAlbert Law39,89021.43[26]Spinners[17]
BoltonJohn Lynch39,87121.44[26]Warehousemen[27]
Middleton and PrestwichJoseph Nuttall17,39838.92[26]Weavers[27]
OldhamMatthew Burrow Farr29,6474[26]Cardroom[27]
SowerbyWilliam John Tout16,03546.22[26]Weavers[27]
1938 by-electionFarnworthGeorge Tomlinson24,29859.11[28]Weavers
1945 general election FarnworthGeorge Tomlinson28,46266.11[29]Weavers
OldhamFrank Fairhurst31,70423.91[29]Overlookers
PrestonJohn William Sunderland32,88924.12[29]Weavers
1950 general election FarnworthGeorge Tomlinson25,37556.61[30]Weavers
Manchester WithingtonLewis Wright14,20632.62[30]Weavers
Oldham EastFrank Fairhurst21,51045.01[30]Overlookers
1951 general election Bury and RadcliffeLewis Wright28,05848.42[31]Weavers
ClitheroeHarold Bradley18,58244.72[31]Weavers
FarnworthGeorge Tomlinson26,29759.21[31]Weavers
1952 by-electionFarnworthErnest Thornton21,83459.91Weavers
1955 general election ClitheroeWilliam Rutter16,67143.52[32]Overlookers
FarnworthErnest Thornton24,82957.71[32]Weavers
1959 general election ClitheroeWilliam Rutter16,10341.92[33]Overlookers
FarnworthErnest Thornton27,39358.61[33]Weavers
1964 general electionFarnworthErnest Thornton28,49262.11[34]Weavers
1966 general electionFarnworthErnest Thornton30,01566.21[35]Weavers
1970 general electionNorth FyldeRaymond Hill15,23531.22[36]Weavers

Leadership

Secretaries
1889: Thomas Birtwistle
c.1892: James Mawdsley
1902: Joseph Cross
1925: James Bell
1931: Cephas Speak
1943: Ernest Thornton
1953: Harold Bradley
1958: James Milhench
1968: Joseph Richardson

Presidents
1889: David Holmes
1890s: William Mullin
1913: William C. Robinson
1919: Walter Gee
1924: William Thomasson
1935: Archie Robertson
1953: William Roberts
1958: Harold Chorlton
1964: Jim Browning

See also

References
  1. Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, p.77
  2. D. A. Farnie, Region and Strategy in Britain and Japan, p.117
  3. Andrew Bullen, The Lancashire Weavers Union, p.22
  4. Teun Hoefnagel, Tussen traditie en emancipatie, p.328 (in Dutch)
  5. P. F. Clarke, Lancashire and the New Liberalism, p.84
  6. P. F. Clarke, Lancashire and the New Liberalism, p.93
  7. Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, p.77
  8. David Howell, British Workers and the Independent Labour Party, 1888-1906, pp.58-59
  9. P. F. Clarke, Lancashire and the New Liberalism, pp.84-88
  10. P. F. Clarke, Lancashire and the New Liberalism, pp.91-92
  11. Joseph L. White, The Limits of Trade Union Militancy: The Lancashire Textile Workers, 1910-1914, pp.151-152
  12. H. A. Clegg et al, A History of British Trade Unions Since 1889: 1911-1933, p.305
  13. Report of Annual Trades Union Congress, vol.108, p.379
  14. "Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union", Archives Hub
  15. Joel Dayton Moore, The Taff Vale Decision in British Labor History, pp.115-116
  16. Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, pp.290-292
  17. Fowler, Alan; Wyke (1987). The Barefoot Aristocrats: A History of the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners. Littleborough: George Kelsall. ISBN 0-946571-10-4.
  18. Labour Party, Report of the Twenty-second Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-272. Note that this list is of the sanctioned candidates as of June 1922, and there were some changes between this date and the general election.
  19. "Textile workers' campaign". Manchester Guardian. 19 November 1923.
  20. "Textile Workers' Group". Manchester Guardian. 20 November 1923.
  21. "Seven textile workers' candidates". Manchester Guardian. 15 October 1924.
  22. Labour Party, Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference (1925), pp.25–27
  23. "Cotton operatives' candidates". Manchester Guardian. 7 March 1929.
  24. Annual Report of the Labour Party: 11–27. 1931. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. "Factory Workers & A Manifesto". Manchester Guardian. 15 October 1931.
  26. "List of Endorsed Labour Candidates and Election Results, November 14, 1935". Annual Report of the Labour Party: 8–23. 1935.
  27. "Textile Workers: Effort to Secure More Seats in Parliament". Manchester Guardian. 3 May 1935.
  28. "Parliamentary by-elections". Report of the Annual Labour Party Conference: 57–63. 1939.
  29. Labour Party, Report of the Forty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.232-248
  30. "List of Parliamentary Labour candidates and election results, February 23rd, 1950". Report of the Forty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party: 179–198. 1950.
  31. Labour Party, Report of the Fiftieth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.184-203
  32. Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.255-275
  33. Labour Party, Report of the Fifty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.179-201
  34. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Third Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.158-180
  35. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.308-330
  36. Labour Party, Report of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Labour Party, pp.289-312

Further reading
  • Griffiths, Trevor. The Lancashire Working Classes: C. 1880-1930 (Oxford University Press on Demand, 2001).
  • Procter, Stephen, and J. S. Toms. "Industrial Relations and Technical Change: Profits, Wages and Costs in the Lancashire Cotton Industry, 1880-1914." Journal of Industrial History 3#1 (2000): 54-72. online
  • Singleton, J. Lancashire on the scrapheap: The cotton industry, 1945–70 (Oxford UP, 1991).
  • Tippett, L.H.C. A portrait of the Lancashire cotton industry (Oxford UP, 1969).
  • White, Joseph L. "Lancashire Cotton Textiles," in Chris Wrigley, A History of British industrial relations, 1875-1914 (Univ of Massachusetts Press, 1982) pp 209–229.
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