National Transport Workers' Federation
Encyclopedia
The National Transport Workers' Federation was an association of British
trade union
s. It was formed in 1910 to co-ordinate the activities of various organisations catering for dockers, seamen, tramwaymen and road transport workers. Its affiliates included:
The NTWF laid the foundations for the creation of the Transport and General Workers Union in 1922, though it continued to exist after that date. It had some success as an organisational tool and as a symbol of trade union unity, but since its member unions retained full control over their own affairs it was not always able to have a direct influence on trade disputes. In 1912, it called a National Dock Strike in support of London dockers which was observed only in a few centres, and which ended within a week. This was regarded as an embarrassing setback, and led the Federation to adopt a more cautious approach in subsequent years. In 1921 it was criticised for failing to bring out its members in support of the miners in the Black Friday
crisis.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s. It was formed in 1910 to co-ordinate the activities of various organisations catering for dockers, seamen, tramwaymen and road transport workers. Its affiliates included:
- The Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' UnionDock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' UnionThe Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers Union was a British trade union. It emerged in response to the outbreak of the London Dock Strike in 1889 and rapidly became the principal union for dockworkers in London, Bristol, Cardiff, and other ports in the south and south-west. In South Wales...
- The National Union of Dock LabourersNational Union of Dock LabourersThe National Union of Dock Labourers was a trade union in the United Kingdom. It was formed in Glasgow in 1889 but moved its headquarters to Liverpool within a few years and was thereafter most closely associated with Merseyside...
- The National Sailors' and Firemen's UnionNational Union of SeamenThe National Union of Seamen was the principal trade union of merchant seafarers in the United Kingdom from the late 1880s to 1990. In 1990, the union amalgamated with the National Union of Railwaymen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers .- The National Amalgamated...
The NTWF laid the foundations for the creation of the Transport and General Workers Union in 1922, though it continued to exist after that date. It had some success as an organisational tool and as a symbol of trade union unity, but since its member unions retained full control over their own affairs it was not always able to have a direct influence on trade disputes. In 1912, it called a National Dock Strike in support of London dockers which was observed only in a few centres, and which ended within a week. This was regarded as an embarrassing setback, and led the Federation to adopt a more cautious approach in subsequent years. In 1921 it was criticised for failing to bring out its members in support of the miners in the Black Friday
Black Friday (1921)
Black Friday, in British labour history, refers to 15 April 1921, when the leaders of transport and rail unions announced a decision not to call for strike action in support of the miners...
crisis.