National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers (NUTGW)

British trade union founded in 1920 to represent workers in tailoring and garment manufacture, expanded by merger in 1932, peaked mid‑century, and merged into the GMB in 1991.

Overview

The National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers (NUTGW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom that represented employees in the tailoring and clothing manufacture trades. It began life in 1920 as the Tailors and Garment Workers' Union and, after absorbing the Amalgamated Society of Tailors and Tailoresses in 1932, adopted the NUTGW name. The union organised workers involved in cutting, stitching, finishing and related occupations across the clothing industry.

Structure and activity

The union operated through local branches and a national executive that arranged bargaining, welfare support and legal representation for members. It negotiated wages and conditions with employers, pursued collective agreements where possible, and provided mutual aid services typical of mid‑20th century unions. The NUTGW was active in broader labour movement structures and was affiliated to the Trades Union Congress and worked alongside the Labour Party in political and industrial campaigns.

History and membership

Key dates and developments are summarised below. The union grew substantially in the interwar and wartime years; by 1945 it reported about 118,700 members, making it one of Britain’s larger unions at that time. After the Second World War the union continued to represent a large section of garment workers but faced long‑term challenges as the industry changed.

1920: Founded as the Tailors and Garment Workers' Union.
1932: Merged with the Amalgamated Society of Tailors and Tailoresses and renamed NUTGW.
1945: Membership around 118,700.
1991: Merged into the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union (now commonly called GMB).

Role and importance

The NUTGW played a central role in improving pay, working hours and sanitary and safety standards in a predominantly female workforce in many occupations. It helped establish collective bargaining practices in an industry characterised by many small workshops as well as larger factories. The union also campaigned on issues affecting garment workers such as rates for piecework, holiday entitlement and apprenticeship training.

Decline and legacy

From the 1960s onward the British clothing and tailoring trades contracted because of mechanisation, changing fashions, retail consolidation and increasing imports. These pressures reduced membership and bargaining power, making union survival more difficult. In 1991 the NUTGW merged into the larger GMB to maintain representation for remaining members. The union’s history survives in trade union records and in the institutional memory of successor organisations.

Notable distinctions

The name NUTGW is sometimes confused with other similarly named bodies; it is distinct from the Transport and General Workers' Union (often abbreviated TGWU). The union’s particular significance lies in representing a largely female and semi‑skilled workforce at a time when such groups were underrepresented in many other industrial unions. For further general context on trade unions see trade union resources and historical overviews.