JCF Annual Memorial Lecture: 1981-1990
The Jim Conway Foundation Annual Memorial Lecture (AML) was established in 1981. The concept was to enhance the organisation's profile, which was little known outside the trade union movement.
The inaugural lecture was given by former prime minister and close friend of Conway, Jim Callaghan. The AML became a significant feature in the annual industrial relations calendar for the remainder of that decade.
This letter is Jim Callaghan's acceptance to be Chairperson for the final lecture (symposium) of the series. An edited production of the event was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1990.
The Lectures1981
The Rt Hon Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, KG,
Prime Minister 1976-1979
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Callaghan
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/lord-callaghan-of-cardiff-530171.html
1982
Gavin Laird CBE
General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/12/sir-gavin-laird-obituary
1983
Bill Sirs
General Secretary of the Iron & Steel Trades Confederation
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/22/bill-sirs
1984
John Lloyd
Industrial Editor, Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/topics/authors/John_Lloyd
1985
Sir Pat Lowry
Chairman, Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service (ACAS)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-patrick-lowry-9213353.html
1986
Lord McCarthy of Headington
Faculty Fellow, Nuffield Collage, Oxford.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/nov/19/lord-mccarthy
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10076524.lord-mccarthy-industrial-relations-peacemaker/
1987
John Edmunds
General Secretary of the Trade Union, GMB
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/oct/28/tradeunions.uk1
1988
The Rt. Hon. Lord Pryor, PC
Former Secretary of State for Employment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Prior
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/12/lord-prior-obituary
1989
Brenda Dean
General Secretary of Society Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT)
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/18/lady-dean-of-thornton-le-fylde-obituary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Dean
1990
A Symposium
The Rt Hon Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, - Chair
Bill Jordon,
President, Amalgamated Engineering Union and General Secretary of the European Metalworkers Federation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Jordan,_Baron_Jordan
Jerzy Milerski,
Solidarność Poland
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerzy_Milewski
Ivor Roberts
Principal Administrator, Directorate-General (DG) X, European Commission, Brussels
Peter Schulze, London Director, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Andy Wood, Director, Jim Conway Foundation
Chapter Authors:
(Professional designation at the time of lecture).
Forword - Andy Wood, Director of the JCF
Chapter 1:
Coming Full Circle: Britain's Economic Performance During the 1980s:
Calvin Allen. JCF Head of Research.
Chapter 2:
The Trade Unions and the Law.
Dr David Bright. Staff Tutor in Employee Relations at the University of Durham from 1978 & Director of the University Short Course Development Unit from 1989
Chapter 3:
Trade Unions and the International Scene: Does a Smaller World Mean Shrinking Unions.
John Lloyd
Labour Editor of The Financial Times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lloyd_(journalist)
Chapter 4:
Union Democracy:
Roger Undy
Dean of Templeton College, Oxford (at publication).
Senior Tutor and Director of the Oxford Institute for Employee Relations.
https://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/roger-undy-1938-2022/
Chapter 5:
Trade Unions & the State
Robert Taylor
Labour Editor of the Observer.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/24/robert-taylor-obituary
Chapter 6:
Women and Trade Unions
Louise McArdle
JCF Research Officer
https://www.uclan.ac.uk/academics/louise-mcardle
Chapter 7:
The Changing Role of Trade Unions
Roy Grantham
Trustee of the Jim Conway Foundation.
Former General Secretary of Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX). Now a constituent of the trade union GMB. Also, a retired member of the TUC General Council.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/19/roy-grantham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Grantham
Chapter 8
Trade Unionism: 2000 and Beyond
Ian Cunningham
JCF Senior Research Officer
https://www.strath.ac.uk/staff/cunninghamianprof/
In 1997, the JCF Annual Memorial Lecture was re-established, and given by John Monks, General Secretary of the TUC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Monks
It was held in London during November 1997, and 186 honoured the Foundation with their attendance. The series was planned to again be over ten years, with the general theme, Industrial Democracy: Into the 21st century.
The 1998 lecture was to have been given by the late Mo Mowlam MP in November of that year. Unfortunately, the lecture did not take place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Mowlam
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/aug/20/uk.obituaries2
The AML was the brainchild of the late Robert Taylor, Industrial Editor of The Observer during the 1980s. Robert suggested that a lecture series involving well-known, respected and informed individuals would give the JCF a much wider profile.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/24/robert-taylor-obituary
https://www.wbs.ac.uk/news/tributes-for-journalist-and-academic-robert-taylor/