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our movement were all utilised in the attack on our unions and class. This included the ‘recruitment’ of the soon-to-be chair of the executive council of the
Transport and General Workers’ Union itself. Brian Nicholson, a docker, was subsequently ‘exposed’ as an agent of the state (MI5) working at the heart of the TGWU, the dockers’ own union. I’ve got no doubt that today’s Brians are being groomed for office by those same organisations – who never changed their view that our unions represented an ‘enemy within.’"
104:
On 1 January 2001 The
Guardian published an article about Brian Nicholson and his relationship with MI5 under the title "Dockers' leader passed strike tactics to MI5 agents......." and steve Turner of Unite The Union wrote on 5 August 2020 "Phone taps, mail intercepts and undercover ‘plants’ inside
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In 1988, Nicholson was up for re-election to the TGWU executive, but was beaten into third place, with the militant Steve Riley winning the post. Nicholson's supporters claimed that Riley's membership payments were in arrears and so he should be disqualified, but this argument was rejected.
101:, following which he was sacked. An industrial tribunal found that he and 18 other union activists had been unlawfully dismissed, and were entitled to compensation, but they were not re-employed. He instead began running a club for retired dockers, in East London.
60:. A strike took place, but it was poorly organised and supported, and after unions members voted to return to work without gaining any concesions, Nicholson accepted the decision. During the strike, Nicholson secretly passed information on union tactics to
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85:
Four years later, Greendale was defeated for re-election to the union's executive, and therefore could no longer serve as chair. On this occasion, Nicholson won election to the post, defeating the more left-wing
37:(TGWU), and by 1968 was a member of the executive of its No.1 Docks Group. In this role, he was a vocal opponent of racism and fascism, speaking out in particular against the support of some dockers for
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64:. This was revealed in 2001, at which time Nicholson claimed that he was playing games with the secret service, and only told them things which were not significant.
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45:. By 1972, Nicholson was a member of TGWU's executive, regarded as being on the left wing of the union, and a vice-chair of the
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In 1982, Nicholson stood to become the chairman of the TGWU, but was defeated by a more left-wing docker,
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78:, instead becoming deputy chairman. In 1983, the TGWU was given five automatic seats on the
464:
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Nicholson stood again for the executive in 1990, but was beaten by three other candidates.
238:
Hartley, Alec (10 July 1978). "Union leaders urge dockers to ignore calls for strike".
23:
519:
57:
271:
Harper, Keith (10 March 1986). "Soft left candidate wins transport union key role".
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http://www.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk/remembering-tony-merrick-of-the-pentonville-five/
507:
482:
87:
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38:
492:
387:
Victor, Peter (21 August 1991). "Dismissals at
Tilbury Docks rules as unfair".
403:"Dockers' leader passed strike tactics to MI5 agents during national stoppage"
213:"Dockers' leader passed strike tactics to MI5 agents during national stoppage"
414:
346:
Beavis, Simon (20 September 1988). "Beleaguered Todd faces union split".
331:
Beavis, Simon (26 February 1988). "Burden of taking chairman's place".
194:
Harper, Keith (5 April 1975). "Dock strike vote routs militants".
435:"Brian Nicholson, dockers leader talking to reporters,... 24…"
179:
Chapman, Colin (30 March 1975). "Dockers reject peace moves".
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Nicholson was involved in a 1989 against the abolition of the
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Members of the
General Council of the Trades Union Congress
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Chair of the Trades
Councils' Joint Consultative Committee
124:"Continuing race bill debate: dockers' damaged cause".
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In 1975, Nicholson advocated industrial action against
301:"New men and women arrive on the right and the left".
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By 1978, he chaired the joint union committee for the
71:, and had become more cautious about strike action.
41:. This theme was prominent in his 1974 pamphlet,
82:, and Nicholson was appointed to one of them.
286:"New faces - and old ones - take the stage".
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80:General Council of the Trades Union Congress
22:(9 May 1933 – 20 January 2018) was a
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141:British communism and the politics of race
33:, and worked as a docker. He joined the
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43:Racialism, Fascism and the Trade Unions
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164:Wilson, David (30 January 1972). "".
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473:Transport and General Workers' Union
363:"Left gains ground in TGWU election"
35:Transport and General Workers' Union
541:Presidents of British trade unions
16:British trade unionist (1933–2018)
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253:"Left-wing chairman for TGWU".
47:Institute for Workers' Control
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361:Rogers, Roy (27 March 1990).
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29:Nicholson grew up in the
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143:. Brill. p. 145.
20:Brian Gerald Nicholson
457:Trade union offices
139:Smith, Evan (2017).
305:. 7 September 1983.
290:. 7 September 1983.
31:East End of London
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505:Succeeded by
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531:2018 deaths
526:1932 births
493:Doug Grieve
520:Categories
444:2024-09-13
420:2024-09-13
367:The Herald
112:References
415:0261-3077
389:The Times
318:The Times
303:The Times
126:The Times
24:British
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