Although the Transport Workers were signatories to the Triple Alliance, allying them with the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) and the National Union of Railwaymen, on 15 April 1921 Williams decided not to support strike action in support of miners who had seen their wages cut, a decision which became known as "Black Friday". He was expelled from the Communist Party, and renewed his membership of the Labour Party the following year.[2]
Williams stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Coventry at the 1923 and 1924 general elections, but was elected to the National Executive Committee of the party, serving as its chair in 1925. However, after criticising the attitude of the miners during the 1926 general strike, he was de-selected. He also stood down from his National Transport Workers' Federation post, the organisation having become increasingly irrelevant with the establishment of the Transport and General Workers' Union.[2]
Following his removal from all his labour movement posts, Williams supported Ramsay MacDonald's National Labour Party split. Unable to find regular work, he committed suicide in 1936.[2]
^Williams, Robert, The Soviet System at Work: A series of articles contracted for but refused by the Daily Mail, Communist Party of Great Britain, 1920.
robert, williams, trade, union, leader, other, people, named, robert, williams, robert, williams, disambiguation, robert, williams, 1881, february, 1936, british, trade, union, organiser, williams, 1920, born, swansea, wales, began, working, life, coal, trimme. For other people named Robert Williams see Robert Williams disambiguation Robert Williams 1881 1 February 1936 was a British trade union organiser Williams in 1920 He was born in Swansea Wales and began his working life as a coal trimmer at the docks He became active in his union the National Amalgamated Labourers Union at the age of 16 and eventually became its president He also served as a Labour Party councillor in Swansea from 1910 to 1912 1 In 1912 Williams was elected as the first secretary of the National Transport Workers Federation In this role he unsuccessfully campaigned for its affiliates to amalgamate into a single union He opposed World War I and was a leading member of the Union of Democratic Control An active member of the Labour Party he stood in Aberavon at the 1918 general election but as a supporter of the October Revolution he joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1920 2 In 1920 he was part of a deputation of British trade unionists who travelled to Moscow for talks on the founding of a new trade union international which was formed the following year as the Red International of Labour Unions 2 3 That year he was elected as President of the International Transport Workers Federation and served five years in that position 4 Although the Transport Workers were signatories to the Triple Alliance allying them with the Miners Federation of Great Britain MFGB and the National Union of Railwaymen on 15 April 1921 Williams decided not to support strike action in support of miners who had seen their wages cut a decision which became known as Black Friday He was expelled from the Communist Party and renewed his membership of the Labour Party the following year 2 Williams stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Coventry at the 1923 and 1924 general elections but was elected to the National Executive Committee of the party serving as its chair in 1925 However after criticising the attitude of the miners during the 1926 general strike he was de selected He also stood down from his National Transport Workers Federation post the organisation having become increasingly irrelevant with the establishment of the Transport and General Workers Union 2 Williams also played a prominent role in establishing the Amalgamated Marine Workers Union in 1922 as an NTWF sponsored rival to Havelock Wilson s shipowner friendly National Union of Seamen citation needed From 1922 until 1930 Williams was General Manager of the Daily Herald 2 Following his removal from all his labour movement posts Williams supported Ramsay MacDonald s National Labour Party split Unable to find regular work he committed suicide in 1936 2 References edit WILLIAMS Robert Who Was Who a b c d e f Williams Robert Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Williams Robert The Soviet System at Work A series of articles contracted for but refused by the Daily Mail Communist Party of Great Britain 1920 General Secretaries and Presidents of the ITF 1896 2010 International Transport Workers Federation Trade union offices Preceded byJames Anderson Secretary of the National Transport Workers Federation1912 1925 Succeeded byFrederick James Maynard Preceded byHermann Jochade President of the International Transport Workers Federation1920 1925 Succeeded byCharlie Cramp Party political offices Preceded byCharlie Cramp Chair of the Labour Party1925 1926 Succeeded byFrederick Roberts nbsp Organized labour portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Williams trade union leader amp oldid 1209490117, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
