Denis Delay Papers Compiled by Dr Samantha Bird for the TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University, 2013 IDENTITY STATEMENT Reference code(s): [not allocated] Held at: London Metropolitan University: Trades Union Congress Library Collections Title: Denis Delay Papers Date(s): 1862 – 2009 Level of description: Extent: 33 boxes Name of creator: Denis Delay CONTEXT Administrative/Biographical history Denis Delay 1927-2011 was born in Wapping to a family working in the docks and became a stevedore in the Surrey Docks in 1950, joining the National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers. In 1954, he went to the Fircroft Adult Education College and from there to Keele University. He returned to dock work, but in 1960 joined the Trades Union Congress where he remained until his retirement in 1990. He became Secretary of the TUC Steel Committee, but retained his interest in the docks industry and its history. He played a major role in staging the Docklands Exhibition in Congress House in 1980 and in the establishment of the Museum of London Docklands. He was writing a history of industrial relations in the docks when he died. CONTENT Scope and content/abstract: This collection consists of personal papers belonging to Denis Delay, drafts of his history of industrial relations in the docks, and material collected in relation to his research. It includes correspondence; minutes and papers of the various committees and conferences; publications, leaflets and other ephemera; together with general background information on trade unionism, the docks, shipping, London during the Second World War, social history and politics. A good deal of the material consists of photocopies from material at the National Archives ACCESS AND USE Language/scripts of material: English System of arrangement: Original file labels have been retained, but files re-arranged to provide a more useful sequence [see Contents below] This collection is arranged into 7 sub-fonds as follows: 1. Denis Delay Draft Writing; 2. Subject Sequence; 3. Chronological Sequence; 4. Press Cuttings; 5. Periodicals and Printed Works; 6. Denis Delay CD; 7. Books. Within the first sub-fonds the collection is divided by function as follows: A. Denis Delay Draft Writings; B. Denis Delay Draft Writings and Article; C. Denis Delay Draft Writings; D. Denis Delay Draft Writings and My Writings. Within the second sub-fonds the collection is divided by subject as follows: A. Media; B. Life and Labour; C. Port of London; D. Wartime; E. Second World War; F. Second World War; G. Second World War; H. Second World War; I. Leggett; J. Cameron Enquiry 1947; K. Schemes and Enquiries Into; L. National Dock Labour Board (NDLB) and London Dock Labour Board (LDLB); M. Denis Delay Personal and Personalities; N. Unions – Catholics, Trotskyists, Moral Rearmament Movement and others Port Workers News; O. Canadian Dockers; P. Canadian Dockers; Q. J C Lovell PhD Thesis; R. National Joint Council (NJC); S. Use of Troops, Emergency Organisations, Defence Regulation 1AA; T. The International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union and Pacific Maritime Association (ILWU-PMA); U. Bill Lindley (William Lindley) Correspondence; V. Hull, Merseyside and North Ports; J W Murphy papers; W. History. Conditions governing access: Open. Conditions governing reproduction: Copyright varies. Reproduction only by permission of the TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University Finding aids: Handlist is available both in printed format and online. ARCHIVAL INFORMATION Archival history: Papers deposited in 2011 by creator’s executor, Gillian McCredie ALLIED MATERIALS Related material is held in the Museum of London Docklands, the Modern Records Centre, National Museums Liverpool, Hull History Centre DESCRIPTION NOTES Entry compiled by Dr Samantha L. Bird Date of descriptions: 30 July 2013. CONTENTS The physical arrangement of the files within the Collection has been altered to bring similar material together. In the Contents List below, the 1st column indicates the final location of the file, the 2nd column indicates the original numbering of the file, and the 4th column shows the extent of the file [i.e. number of items]. The titles of files in the subject sequence are those applied by Denis Delay. 1 Denis Delay Draft Writings 1/A 31 Denis Delay Draft Writings 6 1/B 32 Denis Delay Draft Writings and Article 10 1/C 39 Denis Delay Draft Writings 13 1/D 43 Denis Delay Draft Writings and My Writings 12 2 Subject Sequence 2/A 2 Media 5 2/B 6 Life & Labour 37 2/C 9 Port of London 48 2/D 16 Wartime 14 2/E 44 Second World War 6 2/F 45 Second World War 36 2/G 48 Second World War 17 2/H 49 Second World War 19 2/I 19 Leggett 1 2/J 24 Cameron Enquiry 1947 2 2/K 36 Scheme and Enquiries Into 28 2/L 23 National Dock Labour Board (NDLB) and London 5 Dock Labour Board (LDLB) 2/M 21 Denis Delay Personal and Personalities 54 2/N 35 Unions – Catholics, Trotskyists, Moral Rearmament 66 Movement and others Port Workers News 2/O 25 Canadian Dockers 137 2/P 26/41/27 Canadian Dockers 76 2/Q 39 J C Lovell PhD Thesis 1 2/R 4 National Joint Council (NJC) 4 2/S 38 Use of Troops, Emergency Organisations, Defence 3 Regulation 1AA 2/T The International Longshoremen’s & Warehousemen’s 7 Union and Pacific Maritime Association (ILWU-PMA) 2/U - Bill Lindley (William Lindley) Correspondence 1 2/V - Hull, Merseyside and North Ports; J W Murphy papers 14 2/W - History 6 3 Chronological Sequences 3/A - 1889-1940 24 3/B 1 1945 30 3/C 47 1946 33 3/D 47 1947 32 3/E 28 1948 41 3/F 7 1949 21 3/G 7 1950 42 3/H 20 1951 50 3/I 20 1952 27 3/J 20 1953 12 3/K 15/46 1954 18 3/L 15/10 1955 6 3/M 37 1956 3 3/N - 1943-1977 28 4 Press Cuttings 4/A 4/8/12/13/14 Chronological 2 34/42/30 4/B 4/8/12/13/14 34/42/30 Subject Sequence 1 5 Periodicals and Printed Works 5/A 29 Periodicals 28 5/B - Printed Works 21 6 Denis Delay CD 6/A - Denis Delay CD (Please see Appendix 1) 1 7 Books 7/A - Denis Delay’s books 12 Appendix 1 CD containing files from Denis Delay’s personal computer. Original file name is in (). These files appear to be drafts of his history of the docks. Information History (AHISTORY) Wartime (BWARTIME) Dockers Charter I (CCHARTER) Dockers Charter II (DCHARTER) Decasualisation (ESODECAS) Zinc Oxide Strike (FZOSTOP) Ineffectives Strike (GINEFECS) Canadian Seamen’s Strike Provincially (HCANPROV) Canadian Seamen’s Strike London (ICANLON) Port Strikes End (JPSEND) Pre-Overtime Strike (KAFORE) Overtime Strike (Overtime Strike) Recognition Strike (LRECOG) Miscellaneous (MMISC) Additional (NADDITIONAL) Down By The Riverside (OTDBTRSDE) RefNo Box Date Title Author Description [inc publisher for published items] Extent DD list 1/A/1 31 ? Draft Writing – Mixture 1 Denis Delay The Government and the Unions. Notes on strike 1 Folder figures. Miscellaneous notes (handwritten and typed). 1/A/2 31 ? Draft Writing – Mixture 2 Denis Delay Arthur Deakin and the Transport and General 1 Folder Workers’ Union. The Communist Party and in particular Harry Pollitt. The Complexities of ‘The Call’. The Blitz. Ernest Bevin and the Strikes of 1943. 1945 Strike. 1/A/3 31 1939- Draft Writing - Wartime Denis Delay The Second World War. Labour. 1 Folder 1945 Decasualisation. The Western Front Agreement. Attacks on London and the Port of London (V1 and V2 rockets and bombing). Blitzkrieg! The Thames barges as weapons. 1/A/4 31 1946- Draft Writing – 1946-1947 Denis Delay Chronology of October 1945-September 1947; 1 Folder 1947 The London Port in Wartime. The Transport and General Workers’ Union in the Port of London. A Curious Episode with the Stevedores. Human Relations with the Docks. The Labour Government brought to the Brink. London Port Employers. Trouble from the Banks of the Clyde, Glasgow. Use of troops. Sir Ben Smith’s concern with Food Supply. New Leader of the Port of London Sir John or ‘Pompous John’. The hard winter of 1947 and its problems. 1/A/5 31 1948- Draft Writing – CANBOV Denis Delay Canadian Strike Union (CSU). Dock disputes 1 Folder 1949? between London Dockers, Avonmouth, Bristol and Liverpool Docks against Clement Attlee and the Labour Government. Three Conflicts between June 1948 and July 1949. Canada. North America. The Cold War. Russia. Communism. The use of Troops. The bringing in of Civilian Volunteers 1/A/6 31 1950s? Draft Writing - CONSGOVT Denis Delay The Significant figures of the Combined Sectional 1 Folder Committee and Executive Council, Communist Ted Dickens and fiery Trotskyist, Harry Constable both expelled from the Transport and General Workers’ Union. National Union of Railwaymen and dispute following Flying Scotsman smashing through the gates of a level crossing. Core of Communist Party members in the unofficial Port Workers’ ‘Liaison Committee’. Stevedores and Lightermen’s Executives Committees. Trouble in the Northern Ports. Decasualisation. Political Developments since October 1951 – the Labour Party. Harry Pollitt. Birkenhead docks and a breakaway ‘unofficial’ committee led by Bill Johnson. Hull, Manchester, and Liverpool docks send ultimatum to employers and if not met would all strike in seven days time; parallel to the General Election countdown. Police surveillance of public meetings and individuals. 1/B/1 32 1948 Draft Writing – Denis Delay The Zinc-Oxide Strike 1948. The Governments 1 Folder ZOSTOP/INEFFECS strike-breaking machine: the Ministerial Emergency Committee (MEC) and the Official Emergencies Committee (OEC). The ineffectives – those who are old and sick to be removed. 1/B/2 32 1800- Draft Writing – Port of Denis Delay Hand written notes on Wapping.