Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1907-1955 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
10 items
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The National Federation of Women Workers (NFWW) was formed in 1906 by Mary Macarthur. The Federation had close links with the Women's Trade Union League, with Gertrude Tuckwell serving as president of both organisations from 1908. The NFWW saw strikes as the chief means of unionising unorganised workers and probably did more than any other organisation (including trade unions) to unionise women especially during the mass strike wave of 1910-1914. The Federation was entirely unself-seeking, in that its efforts were purely for the benefit of the unions rather than its own prestige. Although its membership had risen to 20,000 by 1914, its leaders never intended that the NFWW should remain permanently as a women's union. In fact in 1921 it quietly merged with the National Union of General Workers (now the GMB). The Federation, along with many of the other women's organisations, campaigned to expose the evils of the sweated trades. Their propaganda was very effective and played a major part in inducing the Liberal government to pass the 1909 Trade Boards Act which was an attempt to fix minimum wages in certain of the most exploitative trades, usually the ones in which women predominated. (This administrative history was written by Professor Mary Davis, Centre for Trade Union Studies, London Metropolitan University c 2008.)
Archival history
GB 1924 HD 6079, HD 6135 1907-1955 Fonds 10 items National Federation of Women Workers (NFWW)
The National Federation of Women Workers (NFWW) was formed in 1906 by Mary Macarthur. The Federation had close links with the Women's Trade Union League, with Gertrude Tuckwell serving as president of both organisations from 1908. The NFWW saw strikes as the chief means of unionising unorganised workers and probably did more than any other organisation (including trade unions) to unionise women especially during the mass strike wave of 1910-1914. The Federation was entirely unself-seeking, in that its efforts were purely for the benefit of the unions rather than its own prestige. Although its membership had risen to 20,000 by 1914, its leaders never intended that the NFWW should remain permanently as a women's union. In fact in 1921 it quietly merged with the National Union of General Workers (now the GMB). The Federation, along with many of the other women's organisations, campaigned to expose the evils of the sweated trades. Their propaganda was very effective and played a major part in inducing the Liberal government to pass the 1909 Trade Boards Act which was an attempt to fix minimum wages in certain of the most exploitative trades, usually the ones in which women predominated. (This administrative history was written by Professor Mary Davis, Centre for Trade Union Studies, London Metropolitan University c 2008.)
Deposited with the TUC at an unknown date.
Collection includes: The position of women after the war: report of the Standing Joint Committee, 1916; A comparison between the rates under certain trade boards for women, 1921; Women in the trade union movement, 1955; The Woman Worker - Journal 1907-1921; agenda of biennial conference; annual reports.
http://catalogue.londonmet.ac.uk/
Open to bona fide researchers by appointment, at the discretion of the TUC Librarian.
Photocopying is permitted within the terms of copyright legislation, although copying of some items including fragile material is at the discretion of the librarian.
English
Library catalogue catalogue.londonmet.ac.uk
Also held at the TUC Library are the papers of Dorothy Elliott, an organisor for the Federation, and Gertrude Tuckwell who in 1908 was elected President of the Federation.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
2019
Personnel Workers Women workers Government Health services administration Public administration Organization and administration Personnel management Conditions of employment Working conditions Labour relations Trade unions Sex distribution People by occupation People Women Macarthur , Mary Reid , 1880-1921 , Trade Unionist and Women's Labour Organiser , afterwards Anderson National Federation of Women Workers Sex
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited with the TUC at an unknown date.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Collection includes: The position of women after the war: report of the Standing Joint Committee, 1916; A comparison between the rates under certain trade boards for women, 1921; Women in the trade union movement, 1955; The Woman Worker - Journal 1907-1921; agenda of biennial conference; annual reports.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open to bona fide researchers by appointment, at the discretion of the TUC Librarian.
Conditions governing reproduction
Photocopying is permitted within the terms of copyright legislation, although copying of some items including fragile material is at the discretion of the librarian.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Also held at the TUC Library are the papers of Dorothy Elliott, an organisor for the Federation, and Gertrude Tuckwell who in 1908 was elected President of the Federation.
Finding aids
Library catalogue catalogue.londonmet.ac.uk
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Personnel
- Personnel » Workers
- Personnel » Workers » Women workers
- Government
- Government » Public administration
- Personnel management
- Personnel management » Conditions of employment
- Personnel management » Conditions of employment » Working conditions
- Labour relations
- Labour relations » Trade unions
- Sex distribution
- Sex distribution » Sex » Women
- Sex distribution » Sex
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English