The Hosiery and Knitwear Industry: Coats Viyella

This case study differs from the others in that it is a study of part of a single firm, Coats Viyella plc, operating within one industry, the knitwear industry. Coats Viyella plc is the product of the 1986 merger of three separate firms, Nottinghamshire Manufacturing, Vantona Viyella and Coats Patons. It is organized into seven divisions covering most aspects of the textile and related industries. This case study focuses on the Apparel Division of the company which for collective bargaining purposes was, until 1988, party to the Knitting Industries Federation (KIF) agreement with the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers (NUHKW) negotiated in the National Joint Industrial Council for the Hosiery Trade.