The trade union was founded in Feb 1889 as the United Tyne and District Labourers Association and in March 1889 the Amalgamated Society of Shipyard Helpers and General Labourers of the River Wear merged with it.
By 1890 the union was recruiting heavily in the London, Belfast and Barrow areas and absorbed the Sheffield and District Navvies and General Labourers Society and changed its name to the Tyneside and National Labour Union of Great Britain and Ireland.
The Annual Delegate Meeting of 1892 voted to change its name to the National Amalgamated Union of Labour.
[1][2] While the union accepted all workers, most of its members were involved in shipbuilding, ship repair, and engineering.
[3] Following mergers with a large number of small trade unions, including the London and Counties Labour League, by 1919, the union had 148,000 members spread across the UK and was led by Joseph N. Bell.