Jump to content
 







Main menu
   


Navigation  



Main page
Contents
Current events
Random article
About Wikipedia
Contact us
Donate
 




Contribute  



Help
Learn to edit
Community portal
Recent changes
Upload file
 








Search  

































Create account

Log in
 









Create account
 Log in
 




Pages for logged out editors learn more  



Contributions
Talk
 



















Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 Biography  



1.1  Early life and career  





1.2  As the NAOP general secretary  





1.3  Recognition  







2 References  














Arthur Henry Telling







Add links
 









Article
Talk
 

















Read
Edit
View history
 








Tools
   


Actions  



Read
Edit
View history
 




General  



What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Cite this page
Get shortened URL
Download QR code
Wikidata item
 




Print/export  



Download as PDF
Printable version
 
















Appearance
   

 






From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


Arthur Henry Telling OBE (born 28 March 1884)[1] was a British trade unionist.

Biography[edit]

Early life and career[edit]

Born in Gloucester, Telling became a plasterer. He joined the National Association of Operative Plasterers (NAOP), and began working full-time for the union in Newport, Wales. During World War I, he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, and was awarded the Military Medal.[2]

As the NAOP general secretary[edit]

In 1920, Telling was appointed as Assistant General Secretary of the NAOP, working under T. H. Otley. Otley died suddenly in 1922, and Telling was appointed as acting general secretary of the union, winning an election to the permanent post in September.[3]

Telling immediately began reforming the union, ensuring that regional representatives could take seats on the executive, and appointing accountants to audit the union’s accounts, rather than electing members to fill the role. Later, he appointed full-time organisers for every region. Despite many disputes and the depression, membership of the union generally increased under Telling's leadership.[3]

In 1936, Telling visited the Soviet Union, but reported back that British building methods were superior. On 29 March 1941, he suffered a serious accident while travelling in a motorcycle sidecar, and took several months' sick leave. While he was off, the union's office was destroyed by bombing during the Blitz.[3]

Union membership and finances struggled during the war, but rebounded afterwards, reaching more 19,967 in 1947. Membership then began declining, and in March 1949, Telling reached 65, the set age for retirement from union offices. The process to elect a replacement left him in office for a further year, but an operation near the end of 1949 led him to take several weeks off work. He finally stood down in March 1950.[3]

Recognition[edit]

Telling was highly regarded by the union, and was awarded a testimonial cheque for £250. In retirement, he received a pension from the union, but this increased in line with inflation, rather than wage increases in the industry. Telling objected to this and took the union to court, winning the case.[3]

Telling was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1950 New Year Honours. He was active in the Labour Party and served as an alderman.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1939 England and Wales Register". Ancestry. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  • ^ The Labour Who's Who. London: Labour Publishing Company. 1924. p. 215.
  • ^ a b c d e Newman, J. R. (1960). The NAOP Heritage. London: National Association of Operative Plasterers.
  • Trade union offices
    Preceded by

    Post vacant

    Assistant General Secretary of the National Association of Operative Plasterers
    1920–1922
    Succeeded by

    Henry Cockerill

    Preceded by

    Thomas Otley

    General Secretary of the National Association of Operative Plasterers
    1922–1950
    Succeeded by

    Albert Dunne


    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arthur_Henry_Telling&oldid=1211435304"

    Categories: 
    1884 births
    Labour Party (UK) councillors
    General secretaries of British trade unions
    People from Gloucester
    Recipients of the Military Medal
    Royal Army Medical Corps soldiers
    Military personnel from Gloucester
    Hidden categories: 
    Articles with short description
    Short description matches Wikidata
    S-bef: 'before' parameter includes the word 'vacant'
    Template:Succession box: 'before' parameter includes the word 'vacant'
    Year of death missing
     



    This page was last edited on 2 March 2024, at 15:14 (UTC).

    Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.



    Privacy policy

    About Wikipedia

    Disclaimers

    Contact Wikipedia

    Code of Conduct

    Developers

    Statistics

    Cookie statement

    Mobile view



    Wikimedia Foundation
    Powered by MediaWiki