Difference between revisions of "Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union"

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The union was originally founded as the Electrical Trades Union.<ref name="Butler&Butler">David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000'', Macmillan, 2000, p.390.</ref>
 
The union was originally founded as the Electrical Trades Union.<ref name="Butler&Butler">David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000'', Macmillan, 2000, p.390.</ref>
  
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In 1956, [[Woodrow Wyatt]]'s ''The Peril in Our Midst'', published by a front organisation of the [[Information Research Department]] (IRD), claimed that under the influence of the [[World Federation of Trade Unions]], ETU president [[Frank Foulkes]] and General Secretary [[Frank Haxell]] were working in the interests of Moscow. Wyatt's information came from [[MI5]] via the [[IRD]].<ref>Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, ''Britain's Secret Propaganda War 1948-1977'', Sutton Publishing, 1998, p.157.</ref>
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In 1956, [[Woodrow Wyatt]]'s ''The Peril in Our Midst'', published by a front organisation of the [[Information Research Department]] (IRD), claimed that under the influence of the [[World Federation of Trade Unions]], ETU president [[Frank Foulkes]] and General Secretary [[Frank Haxell]] were working in the interests of Moscow. Wyatt's information came from [[MI5]] via the [[IRD]].<ref>Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, ''Britain's Secret Propaganda War 1948-1977'', Sutton Publishing, 1998, p.111.</ref>
  
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Wyatt also campaigned against Communist ballot-rigging in the ETU. A 1961 court ruling found that Communists controlled the union and that Foulkes and Haxell had rigged the election for General Secretary against [[Jock Byrne]], who replaced [[Haxell]] as a result of the case. [[Les Cannon]] would replace Foulkes in 1963.
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[[MI5]] was particularly concerned about Communist control of the ETU because of its role among civilian workers at [[GCHQ]].  In May 1956, Cabinet Secretary [[Norman Brook]] warned Prime Minister [[Anthony Eden]] that counter-action would have to be taken. Eden responded that "we shall have to go very carefully." Union leaders Sir [[Vincent Tewson]] and Sir [[Tom Williamson]] were discreetly briefed with MI5 material. MI5's interest in the ETU was also shared by the [[CIA]] in the late 1950s and 1960s.<ref>Richard J. Aldrich, ''The Hidden hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence'', Overlook Press, 2002, p.546.</ref> 
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Wyatt also campaigned against Communist ballot-rigging in the ETU. A 1961 court ruling found that Communists controlled the union and that Foulkes and Haxell had rigged the election for General Secretary against [[Jock Byrne]], who replaced [[Haxell]] as a result of the case. [[Les Cannon]] would replace Foulkes in 1963.<ref>Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, ''Britain's Secret Propaganda War 1948-1977'', Sutton Publishing, 1998, p.111-112 .</ref>
  
 
The role of the secret state in these events was largely missed in many subsequent accounts not least in [[Arthur Bottomley]]'s ''The Use and Abuse of Trade Unions'', published by the [[IRD]] front [[Ampersand]] in 1963, which stated:
 
The role of the secret state in these events was largely missed in many subsequent accounts not least in [[Arthur Bottomley]]'s ''The Use and Abuse of Trade Unions'', published by the [[IRD]] front [[Ampersand]] in 1963, which stated:

Revision as of 02:25, 8 November 2012

The Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EETPU) was a former British Trade Union.[1]

ETU

The union was originally founded as the Electrical Trades Union.[1]

In 1956, Woodrow Wyatt's The Peril in Our Midst, published by a front organisation of the Information Research Department (IRD), claimed that under the influence of the World Federation of Trade Unions, ETU president Frank Foulkes and General Secretary Frank Haxell were working in the interests of Moscow. Wyatt's information came from MI5 via the IRD.[2]

MI5 was particularly concerned about Communist control of the ETU because of its role among civilian workers at GCHQ. In May 1956, Cabinet Secretary Norman Brook warned Prime Minister Anthony Eden that counter-action would have to be taken. Eden responded that "we shall have to go very carefully." Union leaders Sir Vincent Tewson and Sir Tom Williamson were discreetly briefed with MI5 material. MI5's interest in the ETU was also shared by the CIA in the late 1950s and 1960s.[3]

Wyatt also campaigned against Communist ballot-rigging in the ETU. A 1961 court ruling found that Communists controlled the union and that Foulkes and Haxell had rigged the election for General Secretary against Jock Byrne, who replaced Haxell as a result of the case. Les Cannon would replace Foulkes in 1963.[4]

The role of the secret state in these events was largely missed in many subsequent accounts not least in Arthur Bottomley's The Use and Abuse of Trade Unions, published by the IRD front Ampersand in 1963, which stated:

the ETU was cleaned up, not as a result of outside protest and agitation (though this undoubtedly played a part) but by the slogging, painstaking and dedicated efforts of a group of socialist trade unionists.[5]

EETPU

In 1968, following mergers the union became the Electrical, Electronic and Telecommunications Union - Plumbing Trades Union and then the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union.[1]

In August 1974, Frank Nodes who had worked with Les Cannon in the 1961-62 court struggle with the Communists, formed links with David Stirling's Better Britain Society through his own TRUEMID organisation.[6]

Frank Chapple later said: "I only met David Stirling on one occasion. I had great sympathy with what he was trying to do which was similar to what I was trying to do myself. Any contact with him would have made me less effective at that time."[7]

In 1986, General Secretary Eric Hammond conducted secret negotiations with Rupert Murdoch which were widely regarded as a major blow to the print unions in the Wapping dispute.[8]

The EEPTU was expelled from the TUC in 1988. It merged with the AUEW in 1992. The EEPTU wing of the combined union was re-admitted to the TUC in 1993.[1] The union was part of further mergers into Amicus in 2001 and Unite in 2007.[8]

People

President/General Secretary

Others

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 David Butler and Gareth Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000, Macmillan, 2000, p.390.
  2. ↑ Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda War 1948-1977, Sutton Publishing, 1998, p.111.
  3. ↑ Richard J. Aldrich, The Hidden hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence, Overlook Press, 2002, p.546.
  4. ↑ Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda War 1948-1977, Sutton Publishing, 1998, p.111-112 .
  5. ↑ Quoted in Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda War 1948-1977, Sutton Publishing, 1998, p.157.
  6. ↑ Alan Hoe, David Stirling: The Authorised Biography of the Creator of the SAS, Warner Books, 1992, pp.437-439.
  7. ↑ Alan Hoe, David Stirling: The Authorised Biography of the Creator of the SAS, Warner Books, 1992, p.452.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Geoffrey Goodman, Eric Hammond, The Guardian, 3 June 2009.
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