Jack Whyman
John Robert Whyman, known as Jack Whyman (16 August 1925 – 23 August 2011) was a British trade union leader.
Whyman was born in East London.[1] After service in the Royal Navy, he joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). He was a member of the Watford District Committee for seven years, before working full-time for the union as an Assistant Divisional Organiser (1964 to 1977), and then as Divisional Organiser for two years, focusing on negotiations in the aerospace, motor and engineering industries.[2]
He was associated with the right-wing of the union, and in 1979, he was elected to the Executive Council, representing London and the South East.[3] This was the EC7 seat which had previously been held by communists continuously since 1942: Joe Scott, Claude Berridge and then Reg Birch.
In August 1984, Whyman was named as 'the man most likely to succeed' in the search for the right-wing candidate to succeed Terry Duffy as union President. But the nomination went to Bill Jordan, Baron Jordan instead [4]
In 1983, the General Council of the Trades Union Congress was reorganised, with the AEU guaranteed four seats, and Whyman was given one of them.[3] Although he was dropped the following year, he was reappointed in 1985. He was also prominent in the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, serving as its president in 1989/90.
Whyman retired from his trade union posts in 1990, being replaced on the AEU's executive by the more radical Roger Butler.[5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ 'Opportunity knocks for Brother Jack', Daily Mirror, 16 August 1984.
- ^ Jack Whyman, Election address as candidate for AUEW General Secretary, October 1974; Daily Record, 03 November 1976.
- ^ a b The Scotsman, 09 May 1979; "New men and women arrive on the right and left". The Times. 7 September 1983.
- ^ 'Opportunity knocks for Brother Jack', Daily Mirror, 16 August 1984.
- ^ "Laird has easy win for third AEU term". The Herald. 1 November 1989. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Obituary". Annual Report of the Trades Union Congress. 2011.