George Britten
George Britten was a Plumbers Union delegate across various workplaces in Mount Isa, Townsville and Brisbane from 1950 until the mid-1980s. He was a member of the Communist Party of Australia. He reflects on the changing nature of unionism in Queensland and his involvement in industrial campaigns including the Springboks tour of 1971, the Plumbers Union campaign for the 38 hour week in 1982 and the strike calling for the Federal Award to apply in Queensland from 1976-79.
George Britten
Biography
George Britten was a Plumbers Union delegate throughout various workplaces in Mount Isa, Townsville and Brisbane from 1950 until the mid-1980s. Britten worked for a total of 61 years in the industry, spending the last twenty years working for the Queensland Housing Commission.
George Britten was born in 1926 in London, growing up in the industrial suburb of Hillford. Coming from a working class family employed in the chemical manufacturing industry, he began his plumbing apprenticeship at the age of 14 and completed it in 1941. He joined the Plumbers Union as soon as he legally could at age 16 and immediately became active in meetings. Britten followed his brother to Australia in 1949, arriving in Adelaide before making his way to Mount Isa to work in the hard rock mines in 1950 as a plumber. Britten immediately became active in the Plumbers Union, becoming a delegate that year.
In Mount Isa he became politically active, joining the Communist Party of Australia in 1951, though he had previously joined the Communist Party of Great Britain. He contributed to the Communist leaflet The Plot which was particularly active during Robert Menzies' attempted federal ban of the Communist Party in 1952. During his time at Mount Isa he established a Regional Labor Council with other CPA members, and worked with a number of other unions in the area.
As a union delegate Britten was involved throughout many campaigns, including the Plumbers Union strike from 1976 to 1979 calling for the Federal Award act to apply in Queensland (though he expressed a contrary opinion) as well as the 1982 Plumbers Union campaign for the 38 hour week.
He was also active throughout the 1971 South African Springboks tour at the RNA showgrounds during the State of Emergency induced by Joh Bjelke-Petersen, striking with other unions. After a long career as a union delegate Britten spent 20 years working at the Queensland Housing Commission before retiring in the early 2000s.
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