Charles Douglas Smith Tennant

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1906 – 19 November 1985) 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. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

trade union leader. Tennant came to prominence in 1935, when he helped to found the Navigators' and Engineer Officers' Union (NEOU). This affiliated to the

International Mercantile Marine Officers' Association The International Mercantile Marine Officers' Association (IMMOA) was a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing officers in merchant navies. History The federation was established on 16 June 1925, at a meeting attended ...

(IMMOA). In 1940, the IMMOA evacuated to London, and Tennant was appointed as its acting general secretary, soon winning the post on a permanent basis. In 1943, he also became general secretary of the NEOU. After the war, Tennant felt that officers in the merchant navy were better represented by the

International Transport Workers' Federation The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is a democratic global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2017 the ITF had 677 member organizations in 149 countries, representing a combined membership ...

, and so in 1948, the IMMOA transferred all its industrial functions to that body. Tennant became chair of its Seafarers' Section, and vice-chair of its Civil Aviation Section, while continuing to run a largely inactive IMMOA until its dissolution, in 1964. In 1956, Tennant arranged for the Marine Engineers' Association to merge into the NEOU, which was then renamed as the

Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association {{Infobox union , name = Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association , image = , founded = 1956 , predecessor = , successor = , dissolved = 1985 , merged = National Union of Marine, Aviation and Shipp ...

. He remained its general secretary until his retirement, in 1971. Tennant was made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the

1952 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1952 were appointments by King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire and Commonwealth. They were announced on 1 January 1952 for the British Empire, Austra ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tennant, Douglas 1906 births 1985 deaths General secretaries of British trade unions