Bernard Sullivan
THE National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers lost its oldest official last week by the retirement of Mr. Bernard Sullivan, one of London's busiest Catholic Actionists.
He will retain his other public work and his place in Catholic movements. Last year he was vice-chairman of the London County Council and is now chairman of the Rivers and Drainage Committee, which has just undertaken a £10,000,000 scheme to clean the Thames.
Mr. Sullivan joined the union in Leeds in 1905, when it was known as the Amalgamated Union of Clothiers Operatives. It was mainly a man's union, with about 5.000 members.
At that time there was only one paid official, the general secretary. His salary was 35s. a week.
Today there arc 140.000 organized workers all over the British Isles.
During the second World War he Served on many Ministry of Sitrolv committees in Birmingham. Manchester and London.
He was also known through the war years as one of thc national speakers who helped to establish the Sword of the Spirit movement, and in 1946 he was associated with the formation of the Westminster Diocesan Association of Catholic Trade Unionists.