National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades


The National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades was a trade union in the United Kingdom.

History

The National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades was formed in 1991 through the amalgamation of the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers and the National Union of the Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades. It had 82,303 members when it was formed. KFAT organised a range of clothing-related workers and was particularly strong in areas of the East Midlands including Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, with other members in Lancashire textile regions and the Yorkshire leather-producing industry. It absorbed the Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives in the mid 1990s. The union was notable for its high proportion of female members - roughly half of its members in 2004 being women.
After initially considering amalgamation with the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers KFAT merged with the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation in 2004 to form Community.

Leadership

General Presidents

General Secretaries