Andy Gilchrist

Last updated

Andrew Charles Gilchrist
Born (1960-12-05) 5 December 1960 (age 62)
NationalityBritish
Occupation Trade Unionist
Known forGeneral Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (2000-05)

Andrew Charles Gilchrist (born 5 December 1960) is a British trade unionist and former firefighter who served as the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union from 2000 to 2005. [1]

Contents

Early life

Gilchrist was born the son of Edward and Shirley Gilchrist. He was educated at Bedford Modern School. [1]

Career

Gilchrist started his career at the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, where he worked from 1979 until 1996. [2] As a member of the Fire Brigades Union, he became a member of the executive council in 1993, a position he held until 2000. He was a national officer from 1996 to 2000 and General Secretary from 2000 to 2005, leading the FBU through the 2002-2003 UK firefighter dispute before he was voted out in favour of Matt Wrack in 2005. [3] [4]

Gilchrist was a Member of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress from 2000 to 2005 and a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 2006 to 2008. Since 2010 he has been the National Education Officer at the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. [1]

Phone hacking scandal

Gilchrist was a victim of the News International phone hacking scandal. [5]

Family life

Gilchrist married Loretta Borman in 1985 and they have a son (Alexander Mark Gilchrist) and a daughter (Scarlett Faye Gilchrist). [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002-2003 UK firefighter dispute</span> Nationwide strike action by UK firefighters for improved salaries

The 2002–2003 UK firefighter dispute was a period of nationwide strike action which began when the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) voted to strike in an attempt to secure better salaries. The FBU demanded a 39 percent increase in pay, which would have brought the average firefighter's wage to around £30,000. It balloted its members for a strike in late 2002 and the industrial action began in November. It was the first nationwide firefighters' strike in the UK since 1977. The strike was led by FBU General Secretary Andy Gilchrist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Crow</span> British trade union leader

Robert Crow was an English trade union leader who served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) from 2002 until his death in 2014. He was also a member of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). A self-described "communist/socialist", he was a leading figure in the No to EU – Yes to Democracy campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">News UK</span> British newspaper publisher

News Corp UK & Ireland Limited is a British newspaper publisher, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the American mass media conglomerate News Corp. It is the current publisher of The Times, The Sunday Times, and The Sun newspapers; its former publications include the Today, News of the World, and The London Paper newspapers. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc. On 31 May 2011, the company name was changed from News International Limited to NI Group Limited, and on 26 June 2013 to News UK.

In British politics, an affiliated trade union is one that is linked to the Labour Party. The party was created by the trade unions and socialist societies in 1900 as the Labour Representation Committee and the unions have retained close institutional links with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Whittingdale</span> British Conservative politician

Sir John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Maldon since 1992. A member of the Conservative Party, Whittingdale served as the Minister of State for Media and Data at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) from 2020 to 2021, having previously served at the DCMS as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the Cabinet from 2015 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Hill (politician)</span> British politician

Trevor Keith Hill is an English Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Streatham from 1992 until 2010, as well as in a variety of Government roles as a Whip and a junior minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick McLoughlin</span> British Conservative politician

Patrick Allen McLoughlin, Baron McLoughlin, is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he first became the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Derbyshire following the 1986 by-election. The constituency became the Derbyshire Dales for the 2010 general election; McLoughlin remained the seat's MP until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Brigades Union</span> Trade union in the UK for firefighters

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime firefighters, retained firefighters and emergency control room staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers</span> British trade union

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a British trade union covering the transport sector. Its current President is Alex Gordon and its current General Secretary is Mick Lynch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Fitzpatrick (politician)</span> British Labour politician

James Fitzpatrick is a British politician and former firefighter who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1997 to 2019, for Poplar and Canning Town until 2010 and for Poplar and Limehouse until his retirement. He is a member of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Wrack</span>

Matthew D. Wrack is a British trade unionist and former firefighter. He was elected General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in May 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Fire Brigade</span> Fire and Rescue service in London

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. It has 5,992 staff, including 5,096 operational firefighters and officers based at 102 fire stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire services in the United Kingdom</span> British fire and rescue services

The fire services in the United Kingdom operate under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to firefighting:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">News International phone hacking scandal</span> Media scandal

The News International phone hacking scandal was a controversy involving the now-defunct News of the World and other British newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch. Employees of the newspaper were accused of engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of stories. Whilst investigations conducted from 2005 to 2007 appeared to show that the paper's phone hacking activities were limited to celebrities, politicians, and members of the British royal family, in July 2011 it was revealed that the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings had also been hacked. The resulting public outcry against News Corporation and its owner Rupert Murdoch led to several high-profile resignations, including that of Murdoch as News Corporation director, Murdoch's son James as executive chairman, Dow Jones chief executive Les Hinton, News International legal manager Tom Crone, and chief executive Rebekah Brooks. The commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), Sir Paul Stephenson, also resigned. Advertiser boycotts led to the closure of the News of the World on 10 July 2011, after 168 years of publication. Public pressure forced News Corporation to cancel its proposed takeover of the British satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unite Against Fascism</span> British anti-fascist group

Unite Against Fascism (UAF) is a British anti-fascist group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Bailey (firefighter)</span> Guyanese-British firefighter

Frank Arthur Bailey was a Guyanese-British firefighter and social worker who is known as being one of the first black firefighters in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Lynch (trade unionist)</span> British trade unionist

Michael Lynch is a British trade unionist. He has served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) since May 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gilchrist, Andrew Charles, (born 5 Dec. 1960), National Education Officer, Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, since 2010" . WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U42291. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4.
  2. "BBC NEWS - UK - The man leading firefighters on strike". News.bbc.co.uk. 17 February 2003. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  3. "Gilchrist out as fire union boss". BBC News. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. Scott, Kirsty (7 May 2005). "Gilchrist ousted as fire union leader". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. "Phone-hacking trial: Fire Brigade Union leader was branded 'love rat' in Sun article". The Drum. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
Trade union offices
Preceded by General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union
2000 2005
Succeeded by