Plumbing Trade Union: a new crisis
1964The Newsletter Read the scan at ETOL (PDF) →Title, extent and credit checked against the scan (17 October 2026, from the scan: page 5 (printed page four), headline across columns 3-6, 'By a Newsletter Industrial Correspondent'; the opening was filed under the by-line, the middle paragraphs and column 6 inside the Linwood record; one line ('division is generally known to') is missing from the machine-read text). The text is machine-read and not corrected: for anything you quote, read the scan.
MPORTANT moves are afoot in the Plumbing Trades Union which may well be passing unnoticed in many parts of that union, but which could have serious implications in 12 months" time or less.
Many PTU members were puzzled earlier this year when an article in the June issue of the union journal by Hugh Kelly, General Secretary, appeared, suggesting in a veiled way that the union's voting procedure should be changed. Under the cloak of claiming that the percentage returns of ballots in the union were dismally low, Kelly hinted at the possibility of 'once and for all' elections. That officials should not have to stand for re-election.
Whilst this article caused barely a stir in the union, circulars which have been appearing at branch meetings since then show clearly that there are some people in the union who are seriously campaigning for changes in the system of elections. Latest and most serious proposal
being canvassed advocates a change of Section 2 Rule 3 of the union's rule book. Under this rule at present Executive members are nominated and elected by members within the division for which they sit on the Executive Council The campaign now afoot seeks to change from that procedure to one where each EC member is elected by a national ballot of members.. The effect of such a change would indoubtedly work against left-wing candidates. In an industry where contracting work is ar mportant section of the union's activity and militancy generally high, a candidate standing in ¿
most of those eligible to vote, but may well be hardly known outside the division.
If the system of voting were changed, night-wing candidates from outside the division could stand, and more important still, with backing from national newspapers could gain more support than a left wing candidate who would either be villified or ignored in the press.
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Something along these lines occurred recently in the election of the Scottish executive committee member where the local press prominently featured attacks on the left-wing candidate who was surprisingly defeated.
What makes the present moves of such importance is the fact that both the General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary of the PTU are due for retirement in about 18 months time, thus leaving not only these two seats vacant but two seats also on the executive.
It is obviously feared in rightwing quarters that these seats may well be taken by left-wing candidates.
Perhaps there is no coincidence in the fact that the PTU is at the moment in advanced stages of negotiations over amalgamation with the Electrical Trades Union whose right-wing leaders have had much experience since taking control of that union on advantageously securing alterations to election procedures. Docker:
get lesson in