page_title: National Federation of Women Workers
section_title: Growth of the NFWW
hierarchical_section_title: National Federation of Women Workers / Growth of the NFWW
caption_attribution_description: English: The Worker's Institute building moved from Cradley Heath to the Black Country Living Museum. (Edited to skew verticals to upright)
context_page_description: The National Federation of Women Workers was a trade union in the United Kingdom active in the first part of the 20th century. Instrumental in winning women workers the right to a minimum wage for the first time, the NFWW broke down barriers for women's membership in trade unions in general.
  In contrast to the numerous small craft unions which organised women workers in the late 19th century, the NFWW was established in 1906 as a general trade union open to all women across a range of industries where women's work predominated, where wages were low and where trade unionism had to that time been unsuccessful. The Scottish suffragist Mary Macarthur played a key role throughout the NFWW's existence, leading campaigns against sweated industries, mobilising public support for striking members, lobbying for legislative reform and engaging with the broader labour movement.
  In 1921 the NFWW amalgamated into the National Union of General Workers as that organisation's women worker's section.
context_section_description: By the end of 1906 the NFWW had seventeen branches and 2,000 members, this grew to an estimated peak of around 40,000 in 1914.
  The union's first successful action came in 1908, when it supported striking workers at the Corruganza box factory in Summerstown, London. This strike was organised in response to wage cuts at the factory. After organising the workers, the local NFWW organiser, Sophy Sanger, negotiated a settlement which saw wages brought back to the previous levels for most of the jobs at the factory.
  
  In 1910 the NFWW organised a strike of around 800 women working as chain makers in Cradley Heath after they were denied the minimum 11s (55p) weekly wage as set in the Trade Boards Act. Chainmaking was the first industry to have minimum wages set under the act, however for six months workers were allowed to contract out of the new rates, allowing unscrupulous employers to demand or trick workers into agreeing to low rates of pay. This led to concern from the NFWW that employers were planning on stockpiling large quantities of chain made within the six-month window and later dismiss the workers once the minimum wage level was set. Mary Macarthur was also concerned that the result of this action would lead to the impression that having set minimum wages would lead to unemployment increases.
  The NFWW worked with employers who were willing from the start to pay the minimum wage by ensuring them that their undercutting competitors would not get an advantage. The only way this could be achieved was to ensure workers for the company's refusing to pay the minimum wage went on strike in August 1910.
  A strike fund raised by the union raised around £4,000 (approx. £450,000 in 2018 value) to support the strikers. Part of the success of the chainmakers' strike fundraising was due to the ability of the NFWW and Mary Macarthur to attract wide support amongst newspapers. Collections were made in local communities across the United Kingdom and Ireland from outside churches, football grounds, factories and Labour Party meetings. A Pathé news film of the chainmakers strike was produced around this time and was shown in picture theatres across the country which also helped the union come to the attention of the wider public.
  Within a month 60% of the employers had agreed to pay the minimum wage requirement and after 10 weeks the final employer agreed on 22 October 1910. After the strike found success to raise wages, the remainder of the fund built the Cradley Heath Workers' Institute.
  The 1913 networkers' strike in Kilbirnie in Ayrshire was agreed at an National Federation of Women Workers meeting in late March. It lasted from April to September 1913 and it was the longest recorded strike of women workers at that time. The strike was led by NFWW activist Kate McLean and it enjoyed broad community support. For example in May 1913 there was a meeting in Kilbirnie where 10,000 supporters were present. The networkers dispute was resolved on 2 September 1913 with improved wages and working conditions created by the NFWW.
caption: The Worker's Institute building, funded from leftover donations to the chain makers' strike fund
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