National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers facts for kids

The National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers (NUTGW) was a special group for workers in the United Kingdom. It was like a club or team that helped people who made clothes. This group worked to make sure tailors and garment workers had fair pay and good working conditions.

What Was the NUTGW?

The NUTGW was a type of organization called a trade union. A trade union is a group formed by workers in the same job or industry. They come together to protect their rights and improve their working lives. The NUTGW specifically helped people who sewed clothes, like tailors and others in the clothing industry.

How It Started

The union first began in 1920. Back then, it had a slightly different name: the Tailors and Garment Workers' Union (T&GWU). Later, in 1932, another union called the Amalgamated Society of Tailors and Tailoresses joined forces with the T&GWU. When these two groups merged, they decided to change their name to the "National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers."

Growing Stronger

The NUTGW became quite a large and important union. By 1945, it had grown to include 118,700 members! This made it one of the biggest unions in Britain at the time, ranking as the tenth largest. Having so many members meant the union had a strong voice to speak up for its workers.

The End of the Union

The NUTGW continued to help its members for many years. However, in 1991, it joined with an even larger union. The NUTGW merged into the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union, which is often called the GMB union today. After this merger, the NUTGW no longer existed as a separate union, but its history became part of the bigger GMB union.