Andy Barr (23 September 1913 – 30 March 2003) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

and

trade unionist 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 Employee ben ...

Life

Born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Barr became a sheet metal worker,Andy Barr
,

Communist Party of Ireland The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI; ga, Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann) is an all-Ireland Marxist–Leninist communist party, founded in 1933 and re-founded in 1970. It rarely contests elections and has never had electoral success. The part ...

and joined the

Communist Party of Northern Ireland The Communist Party of Northern Ireland was a small communist party operating in Northern Ireland. The party merged with the Irish Workers' Party in 1970 to form the reunited Communist Party of Ireland. Formation The party originated in the 1 ...

(CPNI) in 1942.Joe Bowers,
Andy Barr
, ''The Blanket'' Barr became a

shop steward A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a labor union member and official. Rank-and-file members of the union hold ...

in 1942, and by 1948 was a member of the

National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers The National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers was a trade union in the United Kingdom and Ireland. History The union was founded in July 1920 as the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers wit ...

's Executive Committee. In 1949, he was sacked for organising a union meeting during working hours. The successful protests to reinstate him led to a stoppage of 10,000 workers. He stood unsuccessfully for the CPNI in Belfast Bloomfield at the 1953 Northern Ireland general election, taking only 11.8% of the votes cast.Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Boroughs: Belfast
/ref> In 1954, Barr was elected to the Northern Ireland Committee of the

Irish Trades Union Congress The Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC) was a union federation covering the island of Ireland. History Until 1894, representatives of Irish trade unions attended the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). However, many felt that they had little im ...

, and in 1956 to the Executive Committee of the organisation. In 1959, he supported the formation of the

Irish Congress of Trade Unions The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (often abbreviated to just Congress or ICTU), formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trades Union Congress (founded in 1894) and the Congress of Irish Unions (founded in 1945), is a national trade union centr ...

(ICTU). He became president of 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 ...

in 1957, serving until 1978, and President of his own union in 1964, the same year in which he secured recognition of the ICTU by the

Government of Northern Ireland The government of Northern Ireland is, generally speaking, whatever political body exercises political authority over Northern Ireland. A number of separate systems of government exist or have existed in Northern Ireland. Following the partitio ...

. He stood again for the CPNI in Bloomfield at the 1965 Northern Ireland general election, and in the same year became party chairman. The CPNI became part of the

in 1970, and Barr served as chair of the new organisation until 1983. Barr was appointed to the Northern Ireland Economic Council, but resigned in 1973 in protest at the introduction of

internment Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

. In 1974, Barr was appointed President of the ICTU. He also represented the ICTU on the

ETUC The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is the major trade union organisation representing workers at the European level. In its role as a European social partner, the ETUC works both in a consulting role with the European Commission and ...

, of which he was the first communist member. Barr opposed the Ulster Workers' Council strike of 1974, and worked with Jimmy Graham to organise a march to demonstrate this.

General Secretary of the TUC The General Secretary of the TUC is the chief permanent officer of the Trades Union Congress, and a major figurehead in the trade union movement in the United Kingdom. The Secretary is responsible for the effective operation of the TUC and for lead ...

Len Murray Lionel Murray, Baron Murray of Epping Forest, (2 August 1922 – 20 May 2004) was a British Labour Party politician and trade union leader. Early life Murray was born in Hadley, Shropshire, the son of a young unmarried woman, Lorna Hodskinson ...

led the march, into the

Port of Belfast Belfast Harbour is a major maritime hub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, handling 67% of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade and about 25% of the maritime trade of the entire island of Ireland. It is a vital gateway for raw materials, exports and c ...

, with Barr.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barr, Andy 1913 births 2003 deaths Communist Party of Ireland politicians Irish communists Communists from Northern Ireland Presidents of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Sheet metal workers Trade unionists from Belfast