Vic Feather, Baron Feather

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Victor Grayson Hardie Feather, Baron Feather (1908 – 28 July 1976) was General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress in Great Britain from 1969 to 1973.

Feather was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in 1908, and was named after the recently-elected socialist MP Victor Grayson. He was educated at Hanson Grammar School in Bradford, Yorkshire. He began work at age 14 and joined the Shopworkers' Union. He was elected shop steward at age 15, and chairman of his branch committee at age 21. In 1937 he joined the staff of the Trade Union Congress. He became Assistant Secretary (1947-60), Assistant General Secretary (1960-69), and General Secretary (1969-73).

As General Secretary, Feather led the British trade union movement's fight against Heath government's anti-union Industrial Relations Act 1971. After retirement from the TUC, he was President of the European Trade Union Confederation (1973-74). He was created Baron Feather, of the City of Bradford, on 6 March 1974. Lord Feather died two years later in 1976. With his blunt Yorkshire manner, he was something of a "character" in British public life. He was often imitated by Mike Yarwood. When he appeared on Parkinson he admitted to stealing sheep in the 1930s.

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Political offices
Preceded by
George Woodcock		 General Secretary of the TUC
1969-73		 Succeeded by
Len Murray
Preceded by
Heinz Oskar Vetter		 President of the ETUC
1973–74		 Succeeded by
Heinz Oskar Vetter