F. C. Henry

Frederick Charles Henry was a British socialist activist and trade union leader.

By the early 1930s, Henry was Financial Secretary of the Rochdale Trades Council, and editor of the Rochdale Labour News. He joined the Socialist League, a left-wing affiliate of the Labour Party, and served as its general secretary from January 1933 until July 1934.[1]

Henry was elected to Rochdale Town Council, and became the leader of the Labour group on the council. He also became the full-time organising secretary of the Rochdale Trades Council. In 1939, he was appointed as the general secretary of the Waterproof Garment Workers' Trade Union (WGWTU).[2]

Henry was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1951 Birthday Honours,[3] and then an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1966 New Year Honours.[4] From 1959, he served on the management committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions, and he was its chair in 1968/69.[5]

The waterproof garment industry was in long-term decline, and the WGWTU lost members throughout Henry's period leading the union. In 1972, he arranged for it to merge into the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers, and then retired.[6] He lived until at least 2001.[7]

References

Bor, Michael (2005). The Socialist League in the 1930s. Athena Press. p. 92. ISBN 1844010430.
"Waterproof Garment Workers' new secretary". Manchester Guardian. 31 October 1939.
"No. 39243". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1951. pp. 3061–3094.
"No. 43854". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1965. pp. 1–36.
"Mr F. C. Henry, OBE, FCCS" (PDF). Federation News: N68. July 1968. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria; Smethurst, John B. (1994). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. 4. Farnham: Ashgate. pp. 471–472. ISBN 9780859679008.
"Apologies for Absence" (PDF). GFTU Final Agenda: C1. 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2020.

Party political offices
Preceded by New position	General Secretary of the Socialist League 1933–1934	Succeeded by J. T. Murphy
Trade union offices
Preceded by Ted Ainley	General Secretary of the Waterproof Garment Workers' Trade Union 1939–1972	Succeeded by Union merged
Preceded by Robert Doyle	Chair of the General Federation of Trade Unions 1968–1969	Succeeded by Fred Hague

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[1] Bor, Michael (2005). The Socialist League in the 1930s. Athena Press. p. 92. ISBN 1844010430.

[2] "Waterproof Garment Workers' new secretary". Manchester Guardian. 31 October 1939.

[3] "No. 39243". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1951. pp. 3061–3094.

[4] "No. 43854". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1965. pp. 1–36.

[5] "Mr F. C. Henry, OBE, FCCS" (PDF). Federation News: N68. July 1968. Retrieved 26 June 2020.

[marsh-6] Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria; Smethurst, John B. (1994). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. 4. Farnham: Ashgate. pp. 471–472. ISBN 9780859679008.

[7] "Apologies for Absence" (PDF). GFTU Final Agenda: C1. 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2020.