Roy Rogers asks where all the Scots have gone in a union with a
traditionally strong Clydeside presence
THE battle for control of Britain's largest manufacturing union, the
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union, is being waged on both
sides of the Border.
Two Geordies are slugging it out to decide who should fill the
presidency left vacant by Bill Jordan's move to Brussels to become the
first British general secretary of the International Confederation of
Free Trades Unions.
A Lancastrian and possibly another Geordie are contesting the AEEU
general secretaryship left empty by the recent early retirement on
health grounds of Paul Gallagher.
Under the terms of the amalgamation between the AEU and the EETPU,
only members of the engineering section (the old AEU) will elect the
president with the electrician members (formerly EETPU members) electing
the general secretary. When both posts come up for re-election in five
years time they will be decided by a ballot of the entire membership.
A third key engineering union post traditionally held by Scots, the
general secretaryship of the AEEU-dominated Confederation of
Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, has already gone to Tynesider Alan
Robson, who last year succeeded the late Alec Ferry.
So where are the Scots in a union and an industry in which Scots have
played a major role, providing such leaders as the late Sir John Boyd
and the recently retired Sir Gavin Laird?
It was no coincidence that in the Star Trek television series the
chief engineer on the Enterprise was ''Scottie'', more a reflection of
the days when Scottish-built ships, locomotives and heavy plant were
much in evidence the world over.
Scottish AEEU executive councillor Jimmy Airlie would probably have
stood a good chance in the presidential race but cannily declined to
stand, feeling that it was time to make way for a younger man. And he
may well have struck a chord with the membership, for 44-year-old
Tyneside district secretary Davey Hall, with left-wing support, easily
topped the first ballot and must be in with a very strong chance of
defeating right-wing North-east executive councillor Jackie Crystal,
aged 60, in next month's run off.
Victory for Hall, a long-established Labour Party member and a
supporter of Tony Blair, would suggest that the engineering section
members at least are tired of the old political infighting and are keen
to skip a generation in order to shake their almost moribund union back
to life.
The electrical section, the old EETPU, looks less ready for change,
however, with acting secretary 58-year-old Ken Jackson seemingly set to
win the general secretaryship whether or not he is challenged by
executive member Barry Davies from Newcastle. Nominations close on
October 7.
The impending early retirements of Scottish AEEU executive councillors
Pat O'Hanlon, this November, and Jimmy Airlie, a year later, mean that
AEEU members will soon get an opportunity to decide who should fill one
of the top trade union posts in Scotland.
Like eight or more other top AEEU officials, including Sir Gavin
Laird, O'Hanlon and Airlie are taking early retirement offers made in a
desperate bid to kick-start the AEEU out of the ossification which set
in with the amalgamation three years ago.
They will be replaced by one unified executive councillor elected by
all 50,000 or so Scottish AEEU members -- a process that will be
repeated elsewhere thoughout the UK as other executive seats fall
vacant. Balloting, probably on a single transferable vote basis although
that has yet to be finalised, is likely to be next spring with the
victor ready to take office when Jim Airlie goes in just over a year's
time.
Potential candidates are already jockeying for position and it looks
like being at least a four-horse race with political, geographical and
craft issues serving to complicate matters.
The traditional left which has tended to dominate the engineering
section in recent years has lined up behind Paisley, Dumbarton and
Greenock district secretary John Quigley, while the right has selected
Edinburgh district organiser Doug Rooney as its champion.
Electrical section candidates are expected to include moderate
national organiser Danny Carrigan, who although a Glaswegian may be
handicapped by being London-based. A former Clyde shipyard shop steward,
Carrigan stood against Paul Gallagher for the EETPU general
secretaryship four years ago.
Hard-left Edinburgh Scottish Power worker Willie Black is also
expected to toss his hat into the ring.
With all four likely Scottish candidates aged 47 or thereabouts the
winner could be in a prime position to challenge for the AEEU presidency
and/or general secretaryship when they are thrown open to the entire
membership.
Only then will it become clear whether Scots engineers can regain some
of their lost influence or whether we should perhaps expect any new
series of Star Trek to feature ''Geordie'' as chief engineer of the
Enterprise.
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