Ernest William Bussey (9 December 1891 – 16 July 1958) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

leader. Bussey grew up in

West Ham West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham. The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancient ...

and qualified as an

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the ...

. He worked for the West Ham Corporation, then for

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

. He also became active in the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), and in 1931 was elected as its General President.

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions. There are 48 affiliated unions, with a total of about 5.5 million members. Frances O ...

, "Obituary: E. W. Bussey", ''Annual Report of the 1957 Trades Union Congress'', p.311 In 1941, the ETU's longstanding General Secretary,

Jimmy Rowan James Rowan (7 October 1871 – 5 January 1944)''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995'' was a British trade union leader. Born in Rochdale,''The Labour Who's Who'' (1924), p.146 Rowan beg ...

, retired. Bussey was elected as his replacement, and also took over Rowan's place on the

General Council of the Trades Union Congress The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

. In his obituary,

Walter Citrine Walter McLennan Citrine, 1st Baron Citrine, (22 August 1887 – 22 January 1983) was one of the leading British and international trade unionists of the twentieth century and a notable public figure. Yet, apart from his renowned guide to the co ...

noted that "he never pandered to the more ardently militant section" of the union."Mr E. W. Bussey", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'', 17 July 1958 Bussey stood down from his trade union posts at the end of 1946 to join the

British Electricity Authority The British Electricity Authority (BEA) was established as the central British electricity authority in 1948 under the nationalisation of Great Britain's electricity supply industry enacted by the Electricity Act 1947. The BEA was responsible f ...

, and was also made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

. From 1952, he was the chair of the Joint Negotiating Committee for the electricity industry. He retired in 1956, and died two years later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bussey, Ernest 1891 births 1958 deaths General Presidents of the Electrical Trades Union (United Kingdom) General Secretaries of the Electrical Trades Union (United Kingdom) Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from West Ham