united digital tuc president
29
Resolved to win
Dougie Rooney’s unremitting determination has led him to the top of the TUC
By Amanda Campbell
E
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D
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ie
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F
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AMOUS FOR world-changing B
and Adam Smith.
Knox, Alexandar Graham Bell o
W
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co
at
m
m
m
a
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te
it
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y
e
.
d most to Dougie was a sense
citizens hav
Perched atop a granite hill, its a
w
u
h
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a

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m
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il
1
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ie
9
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7
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.
t
W
i
he
h
r
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e
n
w
D
er
o
e
u

g
o
i
n
e
ly
union raise
“At Ferranti in the late 70s the
than Unite n
e a steely resolve. None more so
mainly Asians with a much smalle
n
r
g

there –
for a nearb
d
y
enough money to buy a minibus
who as a rare
at

ional officer Dougie Rooney,
local kids out
church in a poor area, to take
skins, m
f
p
a
o
th
p
e
u
r
la
w
tio
a
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s
.
f
D
ro
o
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g
A
ie
fr
’s
ic
m
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o
–
t
G
he
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a

n
w
a
a

s
in
w
b
fa
h
la
c
it
c
t
e
k
and his
the countrys
on a break, staying on farms in
a
a
n
d
d
e
black man in a city of the palest
officer

is
h

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s
o
m
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ye
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T
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.
ion
experience of life in the Edinburgh of
. His
was sometimes difficult.
the time
organising
ide. It wasn’t just shop stewards
community
r

a
g
f
o
fles, everyone from the whole
f
I
i
n
t

t
1
e
964 aged just 17 the apprentice mechanical
AEU
r
,

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io
vo
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e s
fo
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,
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e
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o
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te
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f
b
o
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e
an
d
d
c

a
ra
k
n
es
discussions with the shop steward on vari
in
h
“I
e
h
s
a
a
v
y
e
s

.
e
“
n
W
countered much racism in my life,”
kids. It was
e sales. It meant a lot to those
issues,” he says. “The convenor said I ha
ous
department
h
s
e
e
n I left school the employment
community


a
c

a
c
r
o
e
m
d.
m
”
unity cause and the
much to say for myself – that I should
d too
maintenance fi
nt me for an interview to be a
foreman took
t
o
t
n
e
e
r

in a local bakery. The
‘
s
m
om
on
e
e
t
y
h

i
s
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g
e

w
us
a
e
r
f
d
u
’
l
,


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c
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o
t
ll
h
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e
c

t
b
in
r
g
a

n
t
c
h
h
e
.


s
I
u
b
b
e
s
c
,
a
a
m
d
nd
e
o


I
the
‘I would never emp
l
l
o
o
o
y
k
s

o
at me and said,
c
H
o
is
n

t
personal fight against discrimination
learned the entire constitution of the AEU.”
you when there are white
m
S
e
c
one as black as
looking for a job.’”
ottish people
the w
in
o
ues. “I was the only black person in
s
In
h

o
le
p
s

s
s

t
t
e
h
w
an
a

r
f
d
iv
.
e years Dougie had become a
A
his in
rkplace. At the time Enoch Powell made
probl
f
e
a
m
m
s
ous speech we saw there were race
H
ca
n
m
d
p
h
a
e
ig

n
re
t
c
o
a

l
s
ls
a
,
v
“During one long-running
in denial
in England, but we in Scotland were
fu
e
ll

t
s
i
o
m
o
e
n


o
c
f
a
fi
m
ci
e
al

.
t
D
o
o
th
u
e
g

i
a
e
t

t
h
e
a
n
d
t

i
a
o
lw
n of the union
interview
e Ferranti, as convenor, I gave an
different
.
,


S
w
cottish people thought, we’re
from the crowd – not because h
a
e
ys stood out
w
ca
a
m
s
e
p
an
to a national Scottish newspaper. They
but we wer
e
e

n
are all Jock Tamson’s bairns –
different, but because he was diffe

r
l
e
ooked
determined approach, together wi
nt. His calm, n
u
a
b
d took my photo. But when the article
expla t
l
i
i
o
sh
n
e
. T
d
h
w
e
i
j
t
o
h
u
o
r
u
n
t
a
t
li
h
s
e
t

s
p
a
h
id
o

t
t
o
h

e
I

a
e
s
d
k
it
e
o
d
r


fo
w
r
o
a
u
n
ld
Scotland as mu
’t
c
. W
h a
e
s


n
a
e
n
e
y
d
w
e
h
d
e
t
r
o
e


t
e
a
ls
c
e
k

l
i
e
n


r
t
a
h
c
e
is
U
m
K
in
.
to absorb large amounts of ofte
th an ability
– and explain them in an acce
n complex facts l
n
o
o
o
t
k
p
S
r
c
in
o
t
t

t
a
i

s
p
h
i
.
c
”
ture of someone who did not
f
“
i
B
gh
e
t
c
,
a
t
u
o
s

e I’ve been prepared to keep going, to
stand him in good stead in the
s

s
y
i
e
b
a
le
r

s
w
t
a
o
y

,
c
w
o
o
m
u
e
ld
.
A
l
D
ea
o
d
u
e
g
r
ie
w
’s
a
s
s
k

i
t
n
o

o
to
d
n
i
e
ff

i
a
c
n
u
d
lt


h
fo
is
r


presence as a union
respec
try and understand people, I’ve gained
yo
n
u
d
n
w
g w
ho
o

r
w
k
o
p
u
la
l
c
d
e
h
r
a
e
v
p
e


w
th
o
o
u
u
l
g
d
h
g
t
o
t

h
o
a
n
t


t
t
o
his
At a Queen’s summer recep
so
ti
m
on
e to accept.
T
president of the TUC general council?
become
to which Dougie had been invite
at Holyrood,
So
h

e
m
re
u

t
c
a

h
r
–

e

o

b
s
u
f
t
i
i
t
n
l

l
d

I’
s
v
u
o
e
s


t
m
ha
ry
a
d

n

is
y
t


o
s
i
t
s

i
s
g
ll
u
e
d
e
t
o
s
in

m
w
a
i
e
n
n

d
a
h

t
a
g
e
v
e
d
e
t



b
t
i
o
n

v
t
o
a
l
c
v
k
e
l
d
e
.
.
continued to be the convenor, working
Dougie
introduced to senior minister of
d
th
, he was
men. There are many good companies o
y
u
white
Scotland by a friend. When the mi
e Church of
that recognise this, recognise
f
F
u
e
l
r
l
r
t
a
im
nt
e
i

u
u
n
n
t
io
il
n
h

i
o
s
f
s
fi
u
c
c
e
c
r
e
i
s
n
s

f
J
u
u
l
n
e
e
l

e
1
c
9
t
8
io
5
n
.
to

b
a
e
t
a
Dougie’s friend where Dougie cam
nister asked
e

n
th
o
e
u

g
t
h
a
t there
their staff, but sadly still not
l
.”
ent of all
“
friend replied, “He’s like me, he’
e from his
st
In
at
m
io
y
n

s
division were a number of power
Where do you come from?”
s Scottish.
D
TU
ou
C
g

i
p
e
r

e
is
s

i
e
d
x
e
t
n
r
t
e
.
mely proud to be this year’s
involved


– including nuclear – and I became
mov
“The UK trade union
nuclear i
immediately with our members in the
R
cent
e
re
m
.
ent is lucky to have the TUC at its
on the
ndustry,” he explains. He took a seat
1987,
union’s national industry committee in
h
R
e
a
a

c
b
i
c
s
e
m
is
lie
a
m
ve
n
s
d
.

“
it
T
s
h
e
e
f

f
p
ec
ro
ts
b
a
le
r
m
e

s
w
til
i
l
t

h
r

if
s
e
t

a
i
t
n
is
o
t
ur society,
U
w
n
h
i
a
t
t
e
e
It brings all the trade unions together

v
h
e
a
r
s


t
a
h
g
e
r
ir
e

a
p
t
o
o
li
p
ti
p
c
o
al
r
o
tu
r
n
i
i
n
ty
d

u
h
s
e
t
r
r
e
ia
.
l
W
di
i
f
t
f
h
e

r
s
ences.
the
three years before the Tories privatised
m
d
ra
a
c
m
is
a
m
ge
i

s
d
t
o
h
n
a
e
t

t
t
h
o
e
a
y
n
d
i
o
n
n
d
’
i
t
v

i
r
d
e
u
a
a
ll
l
y
.

B
m
u
e
t
a
r
s
a
u
c
r
ics on
is
e the
wide all encompassing diversity of mem
an
e
u
r
i
g
n
n
e
d
d
d
u
is

s
p
to
tr

y
fo
i
r
n
m
1

9
th
9
e
0

.
A
A
E
n
E
d
U
w
in
h

e
1
n
9

9
th
6
e
,

D
un
o
i
u
o
g
n
ie, now
att
bu
b
uch a
Unite can really make a massive contri t
e
i
r
o
s
n
h
.”
ip
national o
uted expert in the field, was made
h
it
t
u
a
d
n
e
d
s


t
d
o
id
p
m
un
a
c
k
h
e


m
m
y
e
t
fig

w
m
e
o
ig
r
h
e
t


d
fo
et
r
e
t
r
h
m
e
i

n
m
e
e
d
m
to
bers.
still holds
f
t
f
o
ic

e
th
r
is
fo
d
r
a
e
y.
n

ergy – a job he loves and
“Racism is there in every walk of life. When I
b
A
o
n
u
d
n
w
d
i
t
t
o
h


b
D
e
o
a
u
c
g
h
ie
ie
a
v
t
e

d
th
.
e TUC’s head that’s
H
is
e
n

o
jo
w
in
i
e
t
d
s

p
th
re
e
s
T
id
U
e
C
nt

.
general
t
I
a
t
council in 1997 and
career by anyone’s s

n
h
d
a
a
s
r

d
b
s
e
.
en an outstanding g
m
sto
o
o
st
d
o
fo
f t
r
h
e
e
l

e
m
ct
e
io
m
n
b

e
as
r

s
a
w
u
e
n
r
io
e
n
w
f
h
u
i
l
t
l
e
t

im
an
e
d


o
I
f
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fi
a
c
d
e

r
p
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t
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t
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h
,
e
r
i
a
r
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e
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n
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p
v
o
e
r
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t

.
c
B
a
u
m
t
e
w
in
h
t
e
o
n


i
t
t
h
.”
e elections too
to
k
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