General Industrial Union of Textiles and Clothing
The General Industrial Union of Textiles and Clothing (, ABTK), also known as De Eendracht, was a trade union representing workers in the textile and garment industries in the Netherlands. The union was founded in 1895, as the General Dutch Weavers' and Spinners' Union, becoming the General Dutch Union of Textile Workers soon afterwards. It absorbed the National Cotton Workers' Union, known as "De Eendracht", in 1904, while in 1906, it was a founding affiliate of the Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions. During World War II, the union was controlled by the occupying Nazis, who enforced a merger between it and the Union of the Clothing Industry. After the war, it returned to social democratic control, but the merger was retained, under the name General Union of Workers in Textile and Clothing Companies. It adopted its final name in 1952. By 1970, the union had 15,326 members. On 1 January 1972, it merged with the General Dutch Industrial Union of the Metal and Electronic Industries and the General Union of Miscellaneous Industries, forming the Industrial Workers' Union NVV. Presidents 1920: Gerrit Rengelink 1930s: Bart van Pelt 1945: Tonnis van der Heeg 1949: 1955: Theo de Jong References Textile and clothing trade unions Trade unions established in 1895 Trade unions disestablished in 1972 Trade unions in the Netherlands union