George Maurice Hann (1 October 1885 – 27 March 1980) 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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

trade unionist A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. Born in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, Hann worked as a shop assistant, and joined the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks (NAUSAWC) in 1903. He was very quickly elected to the union's executive, and also became active in the

Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party (UK), Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse work ...

. Through these activities, he met Florence Exten, and the two married in 1913. Also in 1913, Hann began working as a full-time union organiser. He moved to London, and was active in opposing

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1934, he chaired a major labour pageant, organised by the Central Women's Organisation Committee of the

London Trades Council The London Trades Council was an early labour organisation, uniting London's trade unionists. Its modern successor organisation is the Greater London Association of Trades (Union) Councils History Leading figures in the London trade union mov ...

. In 1935, Hann was appointed as National Organiser for NAUSAWC then, the following year, he was elected as the union's general secretary. In the role, he was known for his negotiating skills and knowledge of economics. He began working closely with

Joseph Hallsworth Sir Joseph Hallsworth (2 December 1884 – 19 July 1974) was a British people, British trade union leader. Biography Born in Audenshaw, near Manchester, Hallsworth began working in 1902 as a clerk for the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employ ...

of the rival

National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers The National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. History The union was founded in 1921 when the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees merged with the National Union of Warehouse and Gen ...

, and in 1947 the two unions merged, forming the

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) is a trade union in the United Kingdom, consisting of over 360,000 members. Usdaw members work in a variety of occupations and industries including: shopworkers, factory and warehouse wor ...

. Hann was expected to become joint Assistant General Secretary of the new union, but resigned to work full-time for the

Industrial Court Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

. Hann retired in 1956, and was 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 valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. He and Florence moved to

Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the List of highest points in London, highest point ...

, and he lived until 1980.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hann, G Maurice 1885 births 1980 deaths General secretaries of the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks Trade unionists from Bristol Commanders of the Order of the British Empire