CONFERENCE CALLS: - Aslef

More documents

Recommendations

Info

0607a <strong>Aslef</strong> journal.qxd 29/6/06 13:56 Page 18Obituaries The ASLEF Journal July 2006FOND FAREWELL FORBRISTOL DRIVERSBernard Kennedy, Secretaryof ASLEF’s Bristol branchhas sent the followingobituary notices formembers in his area, all ofwhom worked at Bath Road:JIM MILLARD: A RAILWAYFAMILYIt is with great sadness that Ireport Jim Millard passedaway on 5 May. Jim isremembered as a verypopular and jovial characterby his former work matesfrom Bath Road, where hespent most of his railwaycareer. Jim was the head of atraditional railway family, hisson Ken is also a driver andgrandson a train managerwith FGW. Jim retired in 1995after over a 40-year railwaycareer. He will be sadlymissed by his wife, family,friends and colleagues.ALEC WATTS: WELL LIKEDIt is with great regret that Ihave to report retired driverAlec Watts passed awayearlier this year. Alec was awell-liked personality duringhis 40-year railway careermostly spent at Bath Road.He will be much missed byfamily, friends, andcolleagues.JIM GOLDING: FORMERBRANCH SECRETARYIt is with great sadness that Ireport that Jim passed awayon 9 April. He did much of hisearly years as fireman anddriver at Barrow Road depot.He transferred to Bath Roadin 1965. Jim was branchsecretary for 9 years between1976 and 1985. He had alsobeen on the LDC for manyyears. Jim was a loyal tradeunion member and activist.He will be much missed byfamily, friends andcolleagues.HARRY DAGGER: DIED INAUSTRALIAThe sad news has justreached us that Harry Daggerpassed away earlier this year.Harry retired in 1984 after along railway career. Soonafter he retired Harryemigrated to Australia. Weunderstand that Harry diedpeacefully in his sleep ofnatural causes. He had beenliving in a nursing home inrecent years. He was aged86. No more details areavailable at this time.JACK JAMES: 48 YEARSSERVICEIt is with great sadness that Ireport Jack James passedaway on 10 March after along illness. Jack hadsuffered many complicationsas a result of renal failure overthe last two years, resulting inhim having his footamputated. Jack started hisrailway career in the SouthWales Valleys. Like manydrivers at the time he wasmade redundant in the mid1960s and moved to BathRoad. He retired in 1993 after48 years service. He will bemuch missed by his wife Rita,daughter Jacqueline, family,friends and colleagues.BERNARD RUGMAN: WELL-ATTENDED FUNERALIt is with great sadness that Ireport Bernard Rugmanpassed away at the beginningof March 2006. Bernard was avery popular personality aswitnessed by the attendanceat his funeral on 21 March.Bernard had suffered withcancer in recent years. He willbe sadly missed by family,friends, and colleagues.including the time he passedround a packet of biscuits inthe messroom. When severaldrivers, clutching theirstomachs, asked him wherehe had got them, he replied,quite casually, ‘From the topof the lockers!’ Fortunately(for him!) they were unable tocatch him to administer theappropriate punishment!Paul, who passed out fordriving in 1979, must be oneof the few people to catch ahorse that was roaming thetrack, put it on his train andtake it to the next station. Helater transferred to KingsCross, where it is alleged hebecame the author of theinfamous ‘bitch board’. Hereturned to Hitchin inDecember 1998 where heremained until his death. Hewill be sadly missed by us all.Paul is survived by this wifeWendy and two sons – Cainand Marcus. We send themour heartfelt condolences.Pete Newbury HitchindepotK.V.J. OWENS: EXPERIENCE, GOOD HUMOUR AND ABILITYOn Friday 26 May 2006 I attended the funeral of Bro K. V. J. Owens, former Chairman ofthe Western Region Sectional Council ‘B’. The church in Carmarthen was full of peoplefrom all walks of life as well as former ASLEF colleagues.I served on the old Sectional Council with Ken for seven years and a finer man I haveyet to meet. He saw footplate staff through all the hard times following depot closuresand there are plenty out there to this day who do not know about the help that Ken gavethem both in front and behind the scenes.His working knowledge of the then PT&RA was unsurpassed and he used thisknowledge on countless occasions to the benefit of our fraternity. Many a meal we hadtogether in Micky’s fish bar at Paddington - usually followed by a few beers in theBeehive near Edgware Road tube station.Although the era he served in was one of uncertainty due to numerous depot closuresincluding Severn Tunnel Junction and rationalisation of the network and Valley Lines,Ken was never found wanting. His experience, good humour and ability - which he hadin abundance - always came through with the goods for the benefit of the members. Hisability and talent was formally recognised when he was awarded the B.E.M. for hisservices to the Trade Union MovementHe could on occasions be the epitome of stubbornness, but it was rare that he waswrong. Above all he had the ability to laugh at himself. He never took himself tooseriously. Kendrick Vivian Josceline Owens B.E.M was laid to rest at Narberth followingthe service in Carmarthen aged 79 years. I know he was looking forward to celebratinghis 80th birthday in August of this year but sadly it was not to be.Ken is survived by Janet, his wife of 54 years, who he met when he stole her scarf andrefused to give it back until she agreed to go out with him! He was father to Graham andSusan, father-in-law to Allison and Malcolm and Granddad to four grandsons. On behalfof all who worked with Ken during a very distinguished career may I extend our deepestsympathy to all of his surviving family.Keith Norman18
0607a <strong>Aslef</strong> journal.qxd 29/6/06 13:56 Page 19Hugo Chavez The ASLEF Journal July 2006populist leadership.Critics point to the imprisonmentof trades unionists,and the setting up of a pro-Chavez television network assigns of incipient despotism,though the circumstances ofthe union claims are unclear.If Chavez were to be judgedonly by his friends, or those hepicks out for special attention,it would be necessary to weighup the relative meaning of hisassociation with the Pope,Fidel Castro and RobertMugabe.Chavez: radical politics,fresh air, strange friendsLast month when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez visited London,Tribune editor Chris McLaughlin was one of the few journalists tospend some time with him. Chris has written this balanced andobjective assessment of the man especially for the ASLEF Journal …THE great, but ultimatelyunsuccessful, Latin Americanrevolutionary Simon Bolivarwas warned by his tutor tounderstand the nature of thecampaigns run his enemies.The idea, advised SimonRodriguez, is to destroy themessenger and in so doingprevent the message frombecoming contagious.Two hundred years laterVenezuelan President HugoChavez bides those words ashe is demonised byWashington, castigated by themedia in his own and othercountries and derided by otherworld leaders as he seeks tospread his own infectiousbrand of socialism.Those who heard or metChavez during his recent visitto London as the guest of KenLivingstone were refreshed byradical, straight-speaking blastof fresh air wafting brieflyacross the fetid landscape thathas become British left-ofcentrepolitics. The grandiloquenceof his public speechesthrew into sharp relief howstale and puny is the aspirationalspirit of 'new' Labour.President's Chavez'smessage was indeedcontagious, delivered withcharm, humour, wit, historyand, an increasingly rare thing,an unashamed use of theword socialism in the definitionof clearly stated aims.Privately, he assumes aquieter, more ruminativecharacter that is said to bemore the real person than thepolitical showman.POPULAR APPROACHIt was no surprise that a visit toNumber 10 was not on his listof engagements: Tony Blair'scriticisms of President Chavezin the Commons earlier thisyear and Britain's implicitsolidarity with Washington overthe attempted coup inVenezuela four years ago sawto that.Chavez's success andpopularity among the poorestpeople of his country, and hisinfluence over the northernLatin American region as awhole helped him see off thecoup and he has assumedsomething of a heroic profileamong the Left.But if it is right to applaud forusing Venezuela's oil revenuesto fund an extended antipoverty,literacy, health andeducation programme,denouncing American foreignpolicy and encouraging nationalisation,it would be a mistaketo become blind to thedangers of charismatic,GOVERNMENT IS ABOUTPOWERBoth Human Rights Watch andAmnesty have publishedallegations against hisgovernment's human rightsrecord, there are claims thatopposition has been muzzledwith prosecution and imprisonmentand of brutality by thesecurity forces.Yet it is difficult to gauge theseverity of these breaches ofhuman rights - Britain, after all,is on Amnesty's list of abusers.Chavez is brave in his standagainst the United States; thepossibility of assassination bythe “empire's friends” cannotever be far from his mind.But there is something in thezealously confrontationalpassion, and the almostobsessive frequency, withwhich he denounces the'nasty…brutal…destructiveempire' that hints of the sameautocratic rants of George WBush rather than statesmanship.In a climate in which Chavezis surrounded by lies, falseallegations and media hostility(both the London EveningStandard and, moreperplexingly The Independentfell victim to the mistake ofclaiming that President Chavezfirst came to power by coup), itmay be churlish to raisedoubts.But the essence ofGovernment is power andpower, lodged in humanhands as it must be, will everbe liable to abuse. The test willcome if he wins a third term inDecember's scheduledelection.19
Page 2: 0607a Aslef journal.qxd 29/6/06 13:
Page 6 and 7: 0607a Aslef journal.qxd 29/6/06 13:

CONFERENCE CALLS: - Aslef

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?