Hugh MacGrillen

Our colleague Hugh MacGrillen sadly died from cancer on 10 January 2004 at the age of 58.

Hugh worked as Advice and Training Worker at the Centre for 15 years and contributed greatly to the causes of safer workplaces, housing, communities and environment in London.

Whether it was advising a local authority on the safest way to paint housing, stopping dodgy asbestos strips, investigating illnesses arising from building on contaminated land, showing how to set up a VDU work station or addressing the problems of stress at work - Hugh gave the best advice and support to the workers, tenants and community activists who used the Centre.

Hugh brought to the Centre a sharp intellect, wit, political acuteness, the knowledge of a qualified chemist, editorial skills from his previous work at the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a long and deep involvement with, and commitment to, the trade union movement.

He was London regional secretary of MSF for many years and a defender of grass-roots democracy in the union.

Among his other interests and achievements, he was Irish chess champion in 1973 and a member of the national team at two Chess Olympiads.

He will be sadly missed at the Centre and in many other places.

His well-attended funeral took place on Monday 19 January at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery and his ashes were taken to the family plot in Belfast.

From Dave Joyce, Communications Workers Union National Health, Safety and Environment Officer:

The Trade Union Health and Safety Campaign movement has lost a great character and campaigner, dedicated to fighting the backward culture of employers' disregard for health and safety at work. He brought an intelligent and sharp style to the job he did and his career will have encompassed a rich body of unacknowledged work. I spoke to Hugh shortly before his illness took him away from his work when he asked me to speak at the national hazards conference. I was glad to accept but I recall he didn’t even mention his illness at the time. Over the years he spoke at CWU Regional Health and Safety Forums in the South and was always well received.

From Katie Hanson, Secretary, Amicus-MSF West End Branch 1990-date

Hugh always had a very witty turn of phrase. Some years ago in a report of that year's MSF conference, he described the rule changes carried by the conference that strengthened the powers of the membership to remove the leadership. The next sentence was, "One hopes we can test the efficacy of this soon.". He also memorably titled a conference report "Always mistrust your leaders", pointing out that this useful doctrine had been put forward by Karl Marx towards the end of his life when he had picked up a point or two about politics.

I will miss a good friend and comrade, who taught me an immeasurable amount about trade unionism. When considering how best to proceed in union matters, I usually think "what would Hugh say?", and often the answer then becomes clear.

From Billy Tonner

I would like to record my great appreciation of Hugh's unstinting comradeship while I was living in London and a member of MSF. Many times I despaired of our Union and its directions. Hugh was the man who always exhorted me to remain in membership both by word and example. He dedicated his time to MSF and was treated very poorly by the leadership who cared little for his rightly held and professed beliefs that Trade Unions should be honest, honourable, democratic and answerable to their members.

Hugh will always serve as a beacon of probity and principle. His example should serve the whole Trade Union and Labour Movement. I am grateful to him for his high standards.

From Mumtaz Mahmood, colleague at the Centre

As a colleague I have always found Hugh very polite but witty. You could almost set your watch by the time he came and left the office. He had a loud and funny laugh and was knowledgeable and intellectual.

From Stuart Gillings, personal injury solicitor

I have, and a number of my clients have had, good reason to be grateful to him for his prompt, direct, accurate and helpful information about the occupational hazards which lead to their injuries. Also his obvious interest in them, and his willingness to follow
through their cases with further advice and information.

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