Union movement loses `champagne socialist'

CLIVE JENKINS, one of the most well-known and colourful post-war union leaders, died yesterday aged 73. Mr Jenkins, rarely off the television or out of the newspapers in the 1970s, was the first union leader to recognise the potential for recruiting white collar workers.

Born into a working class home in Port Talbot, south Wales, Mr Jenkins, who combined high self regard with wit, won fame as a "champagne socialist". He had an attachment to left-wing politics with a millionaire's lifestyle. He was a general secretary for 28 years, successively leading three white collar unions, ASSET, ASTMS and lastly the Manufacturing Science Finance union. Roger Lyons, present leader of MSF, said his contribution to the trade union movement was "immeasurable".

Obituary, Review, page 6