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Seniors Champion
George was born 27th September 1933 in his Granny's council house 41 Candlemaker Row Edinburgh, opposite the cemetery where Greyfriars Bobby is buried. George's Father a Regular Soldier with the Royal Scots Regiment died at the age of 41 following a field operation during the Second World War. During the Second World War George's Mother Helen, was made a young widow, to bring up on her own, two young boys. Tommy aged four and George, who became the man of the house at the age of 11. George while still at school, had a paper round; milk round; worked for the local butcher and a licensed grocer to help with the family budget. Mother worked part time charring and with McEwans brewery part-time, until she had an accident at work. (At that time there was no compensation for loss of earnings through a work related injury). Even with the demeaning and degrading means-testing mode at that time there was nothing for the war widow Helen Henderson to assist her with bringing up her family in a difficult time of real need. George says we must have been too well off having some bread in the bread bin'
On leaving School at 15 George served a five-year indentured apprenticeship to become a Craftsman Plasterer. National Service call up at 18 was deferred until the completion of his apprenticeship. On finishing a five year apprenticeship age 21, George was called up in 1954 to serve in the Suez with the 1st Battalion Royal Scots Regiment. On demob, George returned to Union activities. He held various offices of his Union as Branch Secretary, Chairman, and Executive Council Member and was elected a National Organiser of the Union age 29. This involved responsibility for wage claim negotiations; trade union organisation; health and safety; welfare issues; dealing with disputes; Conciliation & Training matters as Joint Secretary with the Employers' Joint Secretary of the Local Joint Council and the Local Joint Apprenticeship Committee. As an Edinburgh Trades Council Executive Council Member, George gained valuable experience as the T.U. Representative Prison Visitor to Young Offenders, HM Prison Saughton; Representative to various Hospital Boards including the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh; The Sick Childrens Hospital; and Representative to The Scottish National Institute for the War Blinded at Linburn. The Scottish Plasterers' Union merged with the T&G forming a new 'Building Crafts Section.' Under Jack Jones leadership of the TGWU George was appointed age 35 to the position of National Secretary of the Building Crafts Section. George has been a Delegate and spoken at the Scottish Trade Union Congress; British Trade Union Congress; Labour Party Conferences; European & International Conferences. 'The Group of Eight' Construction Industry Leaders, alarmed at the damaging effect of the Tory Government's cut backs of Capital Expenditure in the Construction Industry, met with Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher at Number Ten to warn of the very serious consequences of Government policy. As the Construction National Secretary of the TGWU George was the senior member of the Group of Eight. George said to the PM 'to the construction workers and thousands of other sufferers you are like a modern day 'Nero' fiddling while you are ruining the Country'. The Lady was not for turning. Shortly after this meeting with Mrs Thatcher, (not unexpectedly) The Government dispensed with the Group of Eight. Matters became even much worse due to the Thatcher Government deliberate draconian policies. One should never forget the hardship suffered by the 4 million unemployed, with people having their homes re-possessed at the rate of a thousand per week. Even Lord McAlpine a former treasurer of the Conservative party publicly advised people not to vote Conservative. George represented Construction Workers as a Director and Trustee of the Building & Civil Engineering Benefits Schemes. Members were covered for - Accident; Death Benefit; Holidays-with pay; Personal Pension Scheme; including, due to recent Government legislation setting up a Stakeholder Pension Scheme. George was leading negotiator for the Trade Union Side with the Civil Engineering & Building Contractors, and presented documentation on many issues, to the Health and Safety Executive, MP's and Government on behalf of his members for over 29 Years. George was presented with the OBE by HRH the Queen at Buckingham Palace in the 1995 New Years Honours List for his services to Industrial Relations and Health and Safety. George maintains the award of the OBE was due to the work of many other colleagues. George's proudest possession is his award of his Union's Gold Medal. George is a Vice President of 'Skill Build' UK supported by government for training to International Standards in UK colleges and training centres. ' Skillbuild' facilitates the training and selection of the UK International Team to compete in International Competitions associated with 'UK Skills' supported by the Prince's ' Trust. George was the longest serving member of the UK Construction Industry Training Board; he was Chairman of the CITB Civil Engineering Committee and was instrumental in setting up the CITB Scaffolding Committee for the proper training, recognition and the certification of Scaffolding as a Craft. This was the forerunner to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. The Board appointed George as the first Chairman of the CITB Scaffolding Committee, a position he held till his retirement. At the 1997 International Labour Office (ILO) Conference in Geneva, construction union leaders from around the world approved the creation of a new international union organisation, the International Construction Institute (ICI). George was elected to the position of the Executive Secretary of the International Construction Institute. The Institute's Task Force has already been engaged in a number of world trouble Spots, such as El Salvador, South Africa and most recently Bosnia and Kosovo. In Bosnia/Kosovo for example, they have trained local people in the rebuilding of their homes, schools, roads etc. George led a team to NATO Head Quarters in Brussels to present details of the Programme of Recovery Formula to Lord George Robertson NATO General Secretary. George on retiring has undertaken some basic IT Computer Training and is now able to receive and communicate with friends and colleagues even more efficiently. George encourages Seniors not to be afraid of undertaking basic computer training, useful for maintaining contact with friends and family. George is Edinburgh Secretary of the T&G Retired Members Association (RMA) actively engaged with issues of concern to the elderly, such as the National Health Service, Community Care, and Pensions. The Boundary-Free Travel, Uniform Scheme burning question is being followed up with the Transport Ministers for Scotland and England respectively. RMA Policy is for a Uniform Boundary-Free Scheme for Pensioners and the Disabled throughout the UK funded by the Treasury.
George is actively dealing with issues giving cause for concern to the elderly and the disabled. The need for a substantial increase in the Basic State Pension - an end to Means Testing - and a Restoration of the Link with Earnings. George decries the shameful way that older people are treated in this country. George believes that there is a real need for the Senior Citizens voice to be heard and listened to.
"Politicians (and others) must realise that
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George is a member of the National Council of the National
Pensioners Convention (NPC) and he campaigns on Health Care,
Council Tax and Pension Issues. At the inaugural meeting of the
NPC Scotland, George was elected Chairman and has used his wide
experience to campaign with other Seniors' Organisations' on
issues of concern to the elderly. 
