The beginnings of the National Workers' Union (NZR) date back to the work sections that were part of the Society of National Education. These active groups were primarily in cities specified as Łódź, Zagłębie Dąbrowskie and Warsaw. Additionally, in 1901, thanks to the initiative of the Warsaw Workers' Commission "Zetu", the Association of Jan Kiliński was created. Both of these moves were initiated and led by the National League.
In June 1905, the first NZR convention was held, during which the board was elected. It was headed by Czesław Sobolewski, and included Gustav Simon, Maximilian Gromadzki, Edmund Bernatowicz and Jan Szczeblewski. A year later, in 1906, the organization had already 15,961 members and had an impact on the activities of Polish trade unions. NZR besides had its own militia, known as the NZR Combat Union.
In 1908, during the sixth reunion in Warsaw, NZR broke up with National Democracy. The organization opposed the policy of orientation on Russia and the loyalist approach of the Polish ellipse in Duma. The fresh board included Adam Chądzyński, Witold Wolski, Stanisław Arczyński, Władysław Malangiewicz, Wincenty Michalak, Jan Stanisław Jankowski, Marian Rapacki, Adam Radlicki and Antoni Kaczorowski.
From 1908 to 1917, NZR was part of the left-wing independency stream. In 1912 he joined the Interim Committee of Confederate independency Parties, and in August 1914 became part of the United independency Organisation and later the Polish National Confederation. After the Central States took over the Kingdom of Poland, NZR was part of the ultimate Committee of the United States independency Parties and then the Central National Committee. In February 1917, the union left the CKN, balancing between the left independency and activists. During the war, NZR influenced Kingdom workers, although at the end of the conflict it began to lose its importance, but maintaining a strong position in Łódź. The leading figures of the NZR during this period were Edmund Bernatowicz, Adam Chądzyński, Jan Stanisław Jankowski, Antoni Kaczorowski, Władysław Malangiewicz, Adam Radlicki and Ludwik Waszkiewicz.
NZR besides published its own magazines, specified as “Kiliński”, “The Torch”, “Working Case”, “Working News” and “Independence”. In the 1919 election, the union competed with its own electoral list, and in 1920 joined forces with the National Workers' Party, forming the National Workers' Party.
