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LONG SERVING GFTU OFFICER ROD SMITH RETIRES

Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2010

Long serving Research Officer Rod Smith has retired from the GFTU. Officially finishing at the end of February, there was a retirement party on March 18 held at Headland House.

Rod joined the GFTU in 1976 as part of a team of 2 Research Officers. Coming from a background in engineering and planning, Rod brought a rigorous research methodology and a painstaking focus on accuracy to the job, contributing to the Research Service’s reputation as a source of reliable and well-researched information. The Service worked for affiliates as a confidential advisor and information provider.

For example, it developed a strong reputation for company analysis for trade union negotiators. This expertise then formed the basis for the highly regarded courses on company accounts (Rod regretted that this expertise was no longer utilised for GFTU Courses). The Research Officers ran the Education Programme and developed it to a point when a dedicated Education Officer was employed (first Nigel Knowles, then Dave Green now at the ACM). They continued to be involved in Education development at that time.

Rod was involved in various major research initiatives - the Courtaulds Project for example, a close working relationship with the Card Setting Machine Tenters Society and the expanding range of research queries. He developed an expertise in the area of occupational pensions, redundancy procedures and unfair dismissal and was involved in some major tribunal and EAT cases, particularly in the textile industry.

In recent years he was closely involved in the affairs of the CSMTS and the complicated process of closing down the union. Rod served as Members Trustee on the GFTU Pension Scheme and was the staff union representative for many years.

He originally came from Lincoln and had to carry the particular mix of joy and despair of a Lincoln City supporter. As a lifelong Labour Party member he was closely involved in local LP activity, serving in many capacities and is now a CLP Secretary in a busy inner London area.

Rod was someone who what you saw was what you got - totally frank and honest in his views but thought long and hard about all views he encountered.

Rod’s comments in response to statements about his retirement were -

Despite occasional tight deadlines, being a Research Officer at the GFTU was a satisfying job and that’s why I continued to do it for just under 34 years.

There are two main reasons for this job satisfaction. Firstly, the job had great variety. I worked under three different GFTU General Secretaries, I did research for about 35 different affiliated Unions and I answered an estimated total of about 2,400 research requests. The topic of these requests varied enormously and ranged from company searches to pensions and from pay comparisons to tribunal cases. Secondly, it was a job with worthy ideals to aim at. These are the ideals of the Trade Union movement in general and can be summed up by the following verse taken from the front cover of an affiliated Union’s rulebook: -

‘Guardians of our rights we stand,

Heart with heart, and hand in hand;

We succour brethren in distress,

And help the wronged to get redress.’

I would like to publicly thank all the GFTU staff for their advice and support to me over the years and especially Roger Sutton and Annette Sloper, who were already at the GFTU when I started on 29th March 1976.

I would also like to publicly thank my wife Jane for all her valuable support over the years.

Thanks are also due to the officers and members of affiliated Unions, who have taught me so much. I could mention many names but I will keep it to just three for now. Each of these three has sadly passed away but I will remember working with them and learning from them. Firstly, I remember Michael Barrett, General Secretary of the National League of the Blind & Disabled. The NLBD was a unique Union of disabled people run by disabled people and its motto was: ‘Rights not charity’. Michael worked tirelessly for his members and understood the importance and potential of research. Secondly, I remember Granville Priestley, General Secretary of the Card Setting Machine Tenters’ Society, based in Yorkshire. Not only was Granville a very amusing speaker at GFTU conferences but he was also a master tactician when it came to Union negotiations. He had a tremendous knowledge and understanding of the industry he worked in and used it to benefit his members. Thirdly, I remember Margaret Fenwick, General Secretary of the Union of Jute, Flax and Kindred Textile Operatives. Margaret was good at motivating woman members and urged them to be very determined, to further their education and to ‘think big’.

Finally, I would like to thank the following colleagues: all those who have contacted me about my retirement, all those who have sent me a card or gift and all those who attended my retirement party on 18/3/10. It was good of you to do these things and I wish you – and the GFTU - all the very best in the future.

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