William A. Attley (born 5 April 1938) is a former Irish trade unionist and football referee.

Born in Rathcoole, Dublin, Attley studied at the National College of Industrial Relations. He became active in the Workers' Union of Ireland (WUI), being elected as a branch secretary in 1968, then Deputy General Secretary in 1977 and General Secretary from 1982.[1] In 1990, he led a merger of the WUI with the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, forming SIPTU (Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union), serving as joint General President until 1994,[1] then as General Secretary until his retirement in 1998.[2]

Outside trade unionism, Attley was active in the Labour Party,[1] and was a keen football referee, ultimately working with UEFA to recruit and train referees, and in his retirement becoming chief referee assessor for the Football Association of Ireland.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Louis McRedmond, Modern Irish lives: dictionary of 20th-century Irish biography, p.6
  2. ^ Gerald Flynn, "Tough union battle to replace Attley", Irish Independent, 5 March 1998
  3. ^ Martin Fitzpatrick, "Billy Attley", Irish Independent, 6 June 2004

External links

Trade union offices Preceded byPaddy Cardiff General Secretary of the Workers' Union of Ireland 1982–1990 Succeeded byPosition abolished New office General President of SIPTU 1990–1994 Served alongside: Edmund Browne Succeeded byEdmund Browne Preceded byTom Garry and Christy Kirwan General Secretary of SIPTU 1994–1998 Succeeded byJohn McDonnell Preceded byEdmund Browne Treasurer of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions 1995–1999 Succeeded byJimmy Somers
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