John Robert Whyman, known as Jack Whyman (16 August 1925 – 23 August 2011) 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 union leader. Whyman was born in East London. After service in the Royal Navy, he joined the

Amalgamated Engineering Union The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major United Kingdom, British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992. History ...

(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. 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.''The Scotsman'', 09 May 1979; 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 William Brian Jordan, Baron Jordan, (born 28 January 1936), known as Bill Jordan, is a British economist and Labour politician. The son of Walter and Alice Jordan, he was educated at the Barford Road Secondary Modern School in Birmingham. ...

instead In 1983, 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 Trades Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

was reorganised, with the AEU guaranteed four seats, and Whyman was given one of them. Although he was dropped the following year, he was reappointed in 1985. He was also prominent in the

Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU), often known as the Confed is a trade union confederation in the United Kingdom. History The confederation was founded in December 1890 as the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuil ...

, 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whyman, Jack 1925 births 2011 deaths English trade unionists Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress