Lord Bill : A Trade Union Miracle

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781906413422
• ISBN10: 1906413428
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2010-05-20
• Publisher: Arcadia Books Ltd

Summary

From the shop floor to national iconic status, this story traces the ascendancy of a young Jamaican to his election as the first black immigrant to hold the position of general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), the UK's largest trade union. Following his father's death in the mid-1950s, Bill Morris joined his mother in Birmingham, England and became employed at a local car parts manufacturer. As much a commentary on the cultural, societal, and historical mores of the times, this account follows Morris as he joins the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1958 and moves from shop steward to full-time union official and holder of various district and national positionsultimately to the pinacle of the organization. In addition to documenting his rise to the powerful and prestigious role in the TGWU, this survey examines other Morris achievements such as becoming the first black immigrant to join the government board of the Bank of England and serve as president of the Trades Union Congress. After dreaming of becoming a professional cricket player for the West Indies as a youth, Morris now also sits on the England and Wales Cricket Board at Lords.

Author Biography

Geoffrey Goodman is a journalist; a former reporter for the Daily Herald, the Daily Mirror, the Manchester Guardian, and the News Chronicler; and a radio and television commentator. He is a founding editor of British Journalism Review.