International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation


The International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation was a global union federation of unions representing workers involved in manufacturing clothing and other textiles.
The federation was established on 17 June 1960 at conference in Copenhagen, when the International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations merged with the International Garment Workers' Federation.
The federation was led by general secretary Jack Greenhalgh, formerly leader of the IFTWA, president John Newton, formerly leader of the IGWF, and vice-president Alphonse Baeyens.
On 5 June 1970, at a conference in Folkestone in England, the federation merged with the International Shoe and Leather Workers' Federation to form the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation.

Affiliates

In 1960, the following unions were affiliated to the federation:
UnionCountryAffiliated membership
Alliance of Textile Workers' UnionsSouth Korea37,479
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of AmericaUnited States376,000
Amalgamated Felt Hat Trimmers, Woolformers and Allied Workers UnionUnited Kingdom2,073
Clothing and Hat FederationFranceUnknown
Danish Clothing Workers' UnionDenmark19,131
Danish Textile Workers' UnionDenmark19,355
Federation of Textile Workers of GreeceGreece40,000
Federation of Textile Workers of PeruPeru25,000
Garment Workers' Industrial UnionSouth Africa5,000
Garment Workers' Union of the Cape PeninsulaSouth Africa14,500
General Industrial Union of Textiles and ClothingNetherlands17,332
International Ladies' Garment Workers' UnionUnited States442,901
United Italian Federation of Clothing WorkersItaly55,186
Italian Federation of Textile WorkersItaly120,000
Italian Union of Textile WorkersItaly20,000
Japan Federation of Textile Workers' UnionsJapan320,000
National Federation of Textile and Needle Industry TradesCuba23,000
National Federation of TextilesFrance18,000
National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile WorkersUnited Kingdom68,596
National Union of Hosiery WorkersUnited Kingdom40,660
National Union of Tailors and Garment WorkersUnited Kingdom120,998
National Union of Textile WorkersColombia20,000
National Union of Textile WorkersIsrael13,000
Norwegian Union of Clothing WorkersNorway14,409
Norwegian Union of Textile WorkersNorway9,741
Pakistan Textile Workers' FederationPakistan20,000
Swedish Clothing Workers' UnionSweden37,164
Swedish Textile Workers' UnionSweden37,588
Swiss Clothing, Leather and Equipment Workers' UnionSwitzerland3,360
Tailors, Tents, Sailmakers and Garment Workers' UnionKenya549
Textile and Clothing UnionWest Germany354,118
Textile and Knitting Workers' UnionFinland5,000
Textile Workers Union of AmericaUnited States197,200
Union of Belgian Textile WorkersBelgium65,190
Union of Clothing WorkersFinland3,103
Union of Clothing Workers and Kindred Trades in BelgiumBelgium9,500
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied WorkersUnited Kingdom15,000
Union of Textile, Clothing and Leather WorkersAustria69,000
Union of Textile and Factory WorkersSwitzerland12,000
United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers International UnionUnited States40,000
United Textile Factory Workers' AssociationUnited Kingdom172,770