Our History

Indira Gandhi meets members of the IWA Southall in Southall
Indira Gandhi meets members of the IWA Southall in Southall
Martin Luther King Jr. at the IWA Southall

In 1956, the Indian Workers’ Association (SOUTHALL) was set up to provide a central national body coordinating the activities of the local groups. The Association aimed to improve conditions for immigrant workers, working alongside the mainstream British Labour movement.  The IWA was an organisation founded and controlled primarily by Indians from the Punjab. DeWitt Johan wrote in his book, “wherever there are Punjabi immigrants in Britain, there is an Indian Workers’ Association with an impressive membership.

Members of teh
IWA Southall meet Prime Minister Indira Gandi in her office in India
Members of the IWA Southall meet Prime Minister Indira Gandi in her office in India
IWA - Southall - Mayor of Ealing and Leader of the IWA 1982

Lease of the Dominion Cinema to Ealing Council

In 1982, facing a crippling debt, the IWA was forced to lease the Dominion Cinema building to Ealing…

IWA Southall - Jaswant Singh Dhami,- president of IWA, Milkha Singh (The Flying Sikh), Ajit Singh Rai

Milkha Singh – “The Flying Sikh”

 Milkha Singh (20 November 1929 – 18 June 2021),[a][2] also known as “The Flying Sikh“, …

IWA Soutall - mIndian Defence Committee, Southall Green following the murder of Gurdip Chaggar: 4th June 1976

Murder of Gurdip Chaggar: 4th June 1976

On 4th June 1976, Gurdip Singh Chaggar, a local student was stabbed to death by racists opposite the…

IWA Southall - Peaceful protest march to Southall Town Hall in 1979 where Blair Peach was killed

NATIONAL FRONT (NF) MEETING IN SOUTHALL TOWN HALL: The Murder of Blair Peach: 23 April 1979

The NF fielded a candidate in Southall for the May 1979 General Election and proposed to hold a meet…

IWA Southall - R Woolf Rubber Factory

R. Woolf Rubber factory Strike: A Historic Struggle Led by IWA Southall

The R. Woolf Rubber Factory in Southall, West London, holds a significant place in the history of th…

The Dura Tube and Wire Factory Strike: A Defining Moment in Asian Workers’ Struggle

The Dura Tube and Wire Factory in Feltham was a significant employer of Asian workers, with a workfo…