Dougie Henry
Education Room
A surprise ceremony was held recently to name our North West and Irish regional office education department in Liverpool after Regional President Dougie Henry . Regional Secretary Paul McCarthy said ‘ This is well deserved for a very passionate and respected member of the GMB .’
Through his involvement with GMB Dougie ’ s been on training courses himself over the years and was also a training officer with the TA . He likes to pass on the knowledge and experience he has and always attends the last day of new stewards ’ induction courses in what ’ s now called ‘ The Dougie Henry Education Suite ’, where he listens to all the presentations and gives talks about the importance of working in a safe environment and the power that Unions have . He also chairs and speaks at NW & I conferences and still serves as a branch officer representing members .
Asked about the naming ceremony Dougie said ‘ I was a bit flabbergasted – I was told I was going to the museum and Mr McCarthy conned me ’. Dougie didn ’ t know his grandson Darren , wife Sylviane and great granddaughter Marie had travelled from France to attend , and when the GMB officers , reps , members and staff who had gathered for the occasion revealed his family sitting behind the standing crowd – quelle surprise !
Dougie has been a GMB member since April 1956 when he joined as a bus conductor . He was a shop steward with the General Municipal Workers Union ( GMWU ) in the 60s and 70s for the Health Service , becoming a branch secretary with responsibility for 9 hospitals from 1979 - including the Royal Liverpool University Hospital . His job was setting up operating theatres which he also did during his 44 years ’ service with the Territorial Army . Serving as a Health and Safety officer in the NHS for years , Dougie had a particular responsibility for making sure staff worked in asbestos-free environments .
Liverpool ’ s Alder Hey was another of Dougie ’ s hospitals and since Zoe ’ s Place was set up for terminally ill children 15 years ’ ago , he ’ s raised thousands of pounds for the charity . ‘ As a region we also look after Belfast Children ’ s hospice ,’ he said . Dougie is still passionate about saving the NHS and urges that we all get active right now in fighting to keep it ! He remembers when he formed a group called Liverpool TUC Affiliates with NUPE , COHSE , EPTU and UCATT , keeping Thatcher ’ s private contractors at bay for four years until the Health Authority was dissolved in 1991 . Dougie ’ s association with Regional Secretary Paul McCarthy goes back to 1981 when a group headed by current National President , Mary Turner , was touring around the country trying to stop Thatcher .
It was a heart-warming and inspiring afternoon which included a Chinese meal at the Chung Ku next door to regional office . Regional president since 2005 , Dougie said ‘ I ’ m grateful for the service I ’ ve had from the Union over the years and that ’ s why I like to give knowledge back because it ’ s important to make sure workers work in a safe environment and I ’ m proud to have been a GMB member for 60 years .
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