National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers

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The National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers was a trade union in the United Kingdom established in July 1906 in Norfolk as the Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers & Small Holders Union.

The Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers & Small Holders Union changed its name to the National Agricultural Labourers & Rural Workers Union in 1910 and to the National Union of Agricultural Workers in 1920.

The union was basically a continuation of Joseph Arch's National Union of Agricultural Labourers (established 1872), which had collapsed in 1896.

Its first General Secretary was George Edwards, later Member of Parliament for South Norfolk, followed by William "Bill" Holmes 1928-1944, who had been President of the union from 1923 - 1928.

Alfred Dann 1945-

The last General Secretary of the National Union of Agricultural & Allied Workers was Jack Boddy 1978-1982.

From 1928 - 1964 Edwin Gooch, MP for North Norfolk was president of the union

The union's stronghold was in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Dorset with over 90% of agricultural labourers being in membership.

William "Bill" Holmes, NUAW General Secretary once told an audience of American trade unionists: "In many of our villages, a man who joins a trade union is worthy of the Victoria Cross that's won on a battlefield. In many villages he dare not be known to be a member of the union. But to be a branch secretary! That is to risk one's livelihood every day in the week".

The union's journal was The Landworker.

The Dorset County Committee organises the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs festival along with the TUC.

The National Union of Agricultural & Allied Workers became the Agricultural Section of the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1982.