Albert Frederick Papworth (8 February 1899''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007'' – 18 May 1980), often known as Pappy, was a British trade unionist. A leader of several strikes, he later became the first communist to serve on the General Council of the Trades Union Congress. Born in London, Papworth began working part-time from the age of eight. He first joined a trade union when he was 16, and led a strike at Morgan Crucible during World War I, while still a teenager. He then transferred to work at the Woolwich Arsenal, where he was involved in two separate strikes. In 1918, he joined the British Army, serving briefly before the end of the war. Papworth returned to civilian work at the end of the war, and joined the Labour Party and the

National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers The National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers (NADSS) was a British veterans' organisation. The group was founded in early 1917 at a conference in Blackburn, drawing together various local groups representing working men who had ser ...

. He struggled to find regular work until 1927, when he began working as a bus conductor with the London General Omnibus Company, based at Putney. He joined the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), soon becoming secretary of his branch. The London General Omnibus Company announced pay cuts for staff in 1932. Leaders of the TGWU reluctantly agreed, but a significant minority of bus workers strongly opposed the agreement. Papworth, along with Bill Jones, Bill Payne and Frank Snelling, founded the Busmen's Rank and File Movement, which published ''Busmen's Punch'' and held meetings at bus garages around London. Many leading figures in the movement also held membership of the

Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPG ...

(CPGB), and Papworth became increasingly sympathetic to the party, although he did not immediately join. In 1935, Papworth was elected to the Executive Council of the TGWU, a position which no communist had held. The following year, the Rank and File Movement led a campaign for a seven-hour working day and improved conditions of employment. When managers refused to negotiate, they launched a strike. This was unsuccessful, and its leaders, including Papworth, were expelled from the TGWU early in 1937. This spurred Papworth to join the CPGB, and he also spent a few months visiting Spain to observe the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, speaking in their support when back in the UK. He was also active in opposition to the

British Union of Fascists The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a British fascist political party formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. Mosley changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to the British Union. In 1939, fo ...

. During World War II, Papworth was readmitted to the TGWU, and he again served on the executive committee of the TGWU from 1941. In 1944, he was also elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the first communist to sit on the body. Through this, he travelled with

Vincent Tewson Sir Harold Vincent Tewson (4 February 1898 – 1 May 1981) was an English trade unionist who served as General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) from 1946 to 1960. Biography Harold Vincent Tewson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. Af ...

and

Vic Feather Victor Grayson Hardie Feather, Baron Feather, (10 April 1908 – 28 July 1976) was a British propagandist and General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress in Great Britain from 1969 to 1973. During his time as assistant secretary of the T ...

to investigate trade unionism in Greece, finding that the ruling Junta had imprisoned most trade union leaders. From the start of 1950, the TGWU banned CPGB members from holding offices in the union, so Papworth lost his official positions. Papworth instead devoted his time to the London Transport Friendly Society, of which he was secretary from 1951 until 1964. Papworth was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Papworth, Bert 1899 births 1980 deaths British Army soldiers British Army personnel of World War I Communist Party of Great Britain members Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress Trade unionists from London