View source for Bernard Swindell

'''Bernard Hopkinson Swindell''' (27 March 1901 – 23 July 1968) was a British [[trade unionist]], who served as chairman of the [[National Union of General and Municipal Workers]] (NUGMW).

Swindell was born in [[Tideswell|Tideswell, Derbyshire]] on 27 March 1901 as one of ten children. He left school at the age of thirteen to work in a [[cotton mill]].  He later moved to work in a quarry in [[Dove Holes]], Derbyshire, and became active in the [[Amalgamated National Union of Quarryworkers and Settmakers]].  This became part of the [[National Union of General and Municipal Workers]], and Swindell became first a [[shop steward]], then served on district committees, and in 1958 became the union's Lancashire District Secretary.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |title=Obituary: Mr Bernard Swindell |work=The Guardian |date=24 July 1968}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=News in brief |work=Manchester Guardian |date=25 September 1958}}</ref>

In 1962, Swindell was elected as national chairman of the NUGMW.<ref>{{cite news |title=Union discusses the high cost of dying |work=The Guardian |date=22 June 1962}}</ref>  He was also elected to the [[General Council of the Trades Union Congress]] (TUC), and became chair of the TUC's Nursing Advisory Committee.  He also served on the [[Industrial Training Council]], various [[Joint Industrial Council]]s, and the Lancashire [[Regional Board for Industry]] and [[Industrial Development Association]]. He retired from his posts in 1966.<ref name="guardian" /><ref name="tuc">{{cite journal |title=Obituary: Bernard Swindell |journal=Annual Report of the Trades Union Congress |date=1968 |page=424}}</ref>

In his spare time, Swindell served as a [[magistrate]], and on his local [[Rural District Council]]. He was also very interested in hospitals, serving on a regional board and as chair of his local hospital group.<ref name="tuc" />

==References==
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{{succession box|title=Lancashire District Secretary of the [[National Union of General and Municipal Workers]]|years=1958&ndash;1966|before=[[Tom Eccles]]|after=[[Jack Eccles (trade unionist)|Jack Eccles]]}}
{{succession box|title=Chairman of the [[National Union of General and Municipal Workers]]|years=1962&ndash;1964|before=[[Jack Cooper, Baron Cooper of Stockton Heath|Jack Cooper]]|after=Charles Smith}}
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[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress]]
[[Category:Trade unionists from Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Presidents of the GMB (trade union)]]