Hilda Unsworth

Hilda Peace Unsworth (11 November 1918 – 26 November 2015) was a British trade union leader who served as the last president of the Amalgamated Weavers' Association.

Unsworth was born in Bolton on Armistice Day, and as a result was given the middle name "Peace". She worked in a cotton mill for many years and became involved in the Bolton Weavers' Association. The Bolton Weavers were unusual among trade unions in that a woman, Alice Foley, held a prominent position, becoming secretary in 1948. Unsworth became Foley's assistant, and when Foley retired, in 1961, Unsworth succeeded her as the full-time secretary of the union.[1][2][3]

Unsworth's period as secretary included the centenary of the founding of the union, and to mark this, she and her assistants visited every mill in the town and gave each member £1.[4]

In 1970, Unsworth was elected as the president of the Amalgamated Weavers' Association (AWA), the first woman to hold the post.[5] This enabled her to take part in numerous trade union delegations overseas, on which she would prioritise investigating equal rights, maternity care and the position of women prisoners.[1]

Unsworth was also the second woman to serve as president of the Bolton Trades Council.[6] The AWA became part of the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union in 1974, but Unsworth remained leader of the Bolton Weavers until her retirement in 1978.[4] In retirement, she served as a magistrate,[1] and was chair and president of the Queen Street Mission Trust for many years.[7]