Founded 1945 Members 74,077 (1977) | Date dissolved 1991 Office location 55 New Walk, Leicester | |
Full name National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers Merged into National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades | ||
The National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers (NUHKW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom.
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History
The union was founded in 1945, with the merger of the Hinckley, Ilkeston, Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham Hosiery Unions. Shortly after, most Scottish unions voted to join the new organisation. Sections were also created for northern and southern England and, by the end of the year, it had 22,430 members. The following year, it secured a national agreement limiting night work and restricting total working to 45 hours per week.
In 1970, a threat of national strike action secured a 10% wage increase and the abandonment of plans for a continuous shift system. Membership of the union continued to grow, reaching a peak of 74,077 in 1977. Several small unions affiliated, the most notable being the Amalgamated Society of Operative Lace Makers and Textile Workers. However, widespread redundancies in the sector began reducing membership. In 1991, it merged with the National Union of Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades, with 34,183 members remaining to join the new National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades.