UP FOR GRABS The next election for general secretary of
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a union which represents road haulage workers is almost certain to be in the T&G. General secretary Bill Morris (above) will be 63 in October and is likely to call the election any time in the year after that as the union traditionally has a one-year overlap period while a new general secretary settles in.
Neither of the union's two road haulage secretaries, Danny Bryan and Ron Webb, have been mentioned in the plans to succeed him, nor has deputy general secretary Margaret Prosser. She is slightly older than Morris and is widely expected to break the strong tradition in the union that no officers accept elevation to the House of Lords by accepting a peerage, paving the way for Morris to follow suit a year later.
The three front-runners in the race to be the new general secretary appear to be Jimmy Elsby, Jack Dromey and Tony Woodley. Elsby is Morris's chosen successor and it is widely thought that it was Morris who was behind the former Scottish organiser's rapid promotion to the post of assistant general secretary.
The suave Dromey is responsible for public services in the union and is a strong contender but has previously stood, and been defeated, for both general secretary and deputy general secretary.
Another strong contender is Tony Woodley, who will vie with Dromey for the left vote. Woodley rose to national prominence during the recent Rover dispute. This may not be a two-horse race; the two other assistant general secretaries Barry Camfield and Ray Collins may yet stand.
The Union of Shop and Allied Distributive Workers (USDAW), which represents about 20,000 road haulage workers, is not likely to hold an election until current general secretary Bill Connor, 59, retires.
The Rail Maritime and Transport Union is likely to hold elections in 2005 when general secretary Jimmy Knapp's term of office comes to an end.