John Weakley (20 March 1940 – 23 January 1995) 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 unionist, who became acting president of the

Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001. History The union was founded in 1992, when the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) finally achieved a merger w ...

. Born in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

, Weakley completed an apprenticeship as a

toolmaker Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing industries. Variations on the name include tool maker, toolmaker, die maker, diemaker, mold maker, moldmaker or tool jig and die-maker depending on which area of concent ...

with

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...

in Bristol, and joined the

Amalgamated Engineering Union The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major United Kingdom, British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992. History ...

(AEU). He 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 ...

Westland Helicopters Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961. In 2000, it merged w ...

, andslowly came to prominence in the union, associated with its right wing. In the mid-1970s, he took the union's president,

Hugh Scanlon Hugh Parr Scanlon, Baron Scanlon (26 October 1913 – 27 January 2004) was a British trade union leader. Scanlon was born in Melbourne, to parents who had emigrated from Britain. His mother brought him back from Australia to the UK when he ...

, to the High Court, successfully arguing that Scanlon should not use his

casting vote A casting vote is a vote that someone may exercise to resolve a tied vote in a deliberative body. A casting vote is typically by the presiding officer of a council, legislative body, committee, etc., and may only be exercised to break a deadlock ...

in favour of the left-wing of the union's executive. Following his success in court, the right gained control of leading positions in the AEU, starting with John Boyd's 1975 election as general secretary. Weakley stood to become national organiser, but was defeated by Laurie Smith. Only in 1977 did he begin working full-time for the union, as its Wales and South West England District Secretary, then in 1979 he was elected to the union's executive committee. He was also made the union's chief negotiator with British Aerospace, British Steel and GEC. In 1985, Weakley was elected to the

General Council of the Trades Union Congress The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

(TUC). The following year, he hoped to become the president of the AEU, but the union's right-wing instead backed the more junior Bill Jordan. He thereafter focused on the TUC, becoming a founder member of its executive committee in 1994, and on 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 ...

, serving as president in 1990/91. Jordan stood down as president of the AEU's successor, the

, late in 1994, and as the longest-serving member of the union's executive, Weakley was appointed as acting president. He announced his intention to run for the post, but died before the election took place.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weakley, John 1940 births 1995 deaths Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from Swansea Presidents of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union Welsh trade unionists