National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives

The National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives (NUFTO) was a trade union in the United Kingdom representing furniture makers.

National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives

Founded	1947
Date dissolved	1971
Merged into	Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union
Members	60,754 (1971)
Affiliation	TUC, ITUC, NFBTO
Key people	Alf Tomkins (General Secretary)
Country	United Kingdom

The union was founded in 1947 by the merger of the National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association and the Amalgamated Union of Upholsterers. By the 1960s, the union was keen to merge with other in its sector; in 1969, it absorbed the United French Polishers' Society, and the following year, the Midland Glass Bevellers' and Kindred Trades' Society joined.[1]

By 1971, the union had 60,754 members and, that year, it merged with the Amalgamated Society of Woodcutting Machinists to form the Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union.[1]

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections.

Election	Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position
1964 general election	Newcastle upon Tyne North	Sidney Lee	12,515	39.1	2
	Nottingham South	William Frederick Back	21,046	41.0	2
1970 general election	Shoreditch and Finsbury	Ronald Brown	14,474	66.9	1

General Secretaries

1947–1971: Alf Tomkins[2]

References

1. Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of British Trade Unions, vol.3, p.332
2. V. L. Allen, Power in trade unions, p.284