BONDFIELD MARGARET GRACE 1873 - 1953LABOUR POLITICIAN

Letter from Margaret Bondfield to Mrs Douglas, suggesting that she shouldcontact the Women's Industrial Council or the Womens Cooperative Guild foradvice on a plan [relating to domestic workers].

Margaret Bondfield 1873 - 1953

Margaret Bondfield was the first British woman Cabinet Minister. She beganher career as an apprentice to the drapery trade and became AssistantSecretary of the Shop Assistants Union, 1898 - 1908. She helped MaryMacarthur found the National Federation of Women Workers in 1906, and becameAssistant Secretary in 1915. When it amalgamated with the National Union ofGeneral and Municipal Workers she became Chief Woman Officer 1921 - 1938. Shesat on the General Council of Trades Union Congress, 1918 - 1924 and 1926 -1929. She was a delegate to Berne International Conference, 1918, the FrenchTrades Union Congress, Paris, 1918, and the Congress of American Federationof Labour, Atlantic City. Bondfield was also part of the British TUC delegation toRussia, 1920, and served as Labour Adviser to International LabourConference, Washington, 1919 and Geneva, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, andChairman, General Council of Trades Union Congress, 1923.

She also served as an MP (Labour) for Northampton, 1923 - 1924, and Wallsend1926 - 1931. She was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, 1924,a member of the Oversea Settlement Committee, 1925 - 1929, and Chairman ofWomen's Group on Public Welfare, 1939 - 1949.

Her publications include:

• Socialism for shop assistants (1909)
• The national care of maternity (1914)
• The meaning of trade (1928)
• Why Labour fights (1941)
• Our towns: a close-up (1943)
• A life's work (1949)

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