Les Bennett (1920-2014) - COHSE Branch Secretary KGV Hydestile Hospital

Les Bennett a passionate supporter of "progress" and "justice" for mankind has passed away on the 6th April 2014 aged 94, he was born 20th March 1920 at Nursecombe near Bramley,

Les who as Branch Secretary of COHSE the health care union from 1948 was the driving force behind the union organising of health workers in the Godalming and Guildford area from the 1940's onwards. He was also a vociferous and passionate supporter of the National Health Service.

Under Les guidance the COHSE health union branch developed from a group of 10 hospital workers, to scared to make their union membership known, to a thriving union branch of over 1,000, a majority of whom were nurses.

Les Bennett was also a Hascombe Parish Council from 1953 for over fifty year, serving many years as Chairman. 

He was also a regular parishioner at Hascombe village church and life long labour party member.

Les was born the son of a Kent horticulturalist, after he left Bramley CofE school he started work aged 14 in a garden nursery, due  a motor car accident in which he received a fractured skull he was denied an opportunity to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps during WW2, despite having being a member of the Red Cross at Shalford from 1938.

He then undertook various jobs in the building trade, it is hear that he received his education on the importance of trade unionism. He lost his job when the foremans son needed a job

In July 1941 as a Bath attendant at the newly relocated St Thomas Hospital, London, which had transferred patients to large mansion house in Milford due to the blitz in Easter of 1941.

The first thing the head porter told him was not to join a union, but that's exactly what Les and a few brave individuals did, meeting secretly at the Alton Ale House.

Les was elected as Branch secretary when many of the original founders of the branch moved back to London at the end of the War, taking a trade union postal course to acquire the skills needed to represent his members.

Les Bennett held the position of Branch Secretary from October 1948 until 1977.

One of Les Bennetts first actions as branch secretary was to write a letter to the COHSE journal exposing the scandal of local student nurses forced due to lack of income to pick onions on local farms to subsidies their meager earnings and to pay for rail tickets home

He was elected to the local Hascombe Parish Council in 1953 having beaten Major Goodman the local squire, a victor that caused him to be victimised but not by the electors who returned him for the next 50 years, many as Chairman

Les a quietly spoken man, brimming with inner confidence and a passion for justice, he was a devoted family man committed to caring for his wife Audrey especially during a long period of ill health towards the end of her life, and despite his many commitments to their children Valerie and twins Hazel, Lesley and Mary. He encouraged many young hospital workers to become active in  health care trade unionism, including Carles Martinez who was to succeed him as Branch secretary in 1977 and held the branch secretary position until 2007

Les Bennett ended his career as the much respected head porter at the hospital and was loved by his members who respected his tireless efforts on their behalf, he could also take pride in later years that as a result of his efforts, COHSE union membership at St Thomas Hospital, Milford Chest Hospital, King George V Sanatorium was close to 100%.
His legacy and battles for justice will live on and those who were fortunate enough to have known him will pay respect now and long into the future 

Les Bennett - Local Hero - Friend of The People

Photos

Les Bennett with Carles Martinez, who took over as Branch Secretary in 1977

and Les wife Audrey (his not in the picture were children children were Valerie, Hazel and Lesley)

With Mike Sumers COHSE Regional secretary

With Albert Spanswick COHSE General Secretary


COHSE is now Unison

Carles Martinez - Historty of UNISON/COHSE SW Surrey

Gratitude paid to retiring union leader

HEALTH Care workers across South West Surrey have paid a fitting farewell to a retiring union leader whose 30 year tenure as UNISON branch secretary is believed to be unrivalled in British trade union history.

Carles Martinez has been branch secretary of local health care workers UNISON since 1977 as well as its predecessor known as the COHSE, Confederation of Health Service Employees, a landmark which prompted a special thank you from the Prime Minister.

Martinez was presented with a framed letter from the Prime Minister at the gathering at the Mandolay Hotel in Guildford on Wednesday 14th November 2007 which recorded his personnel thanks and that of Labour movement for his efforts on behalf of members and the NHS. The event was also an opportunity to receive plaudits from a number of his colleagues and associates who have worked with him over the years.


“Under Carles Martinez’s leadership the union had became a formidable force for good, a key partner in delivering first class health care services locally , and a branch that delivered for its members,” said UNISON regional officer Michael Walker. “The membership of this union and the community we serve owe him a great debt of gratitude.

“He was never afraid to speak his mind on behalf of union members and challenge the prevailing attitudes, championing equality and opportunity for all staff.”

Martinez was born in 1939 in Barcelona and was educated at the Eccole Francaise. He fled Franco's dictatorship for London in December 1963. He contracted TB and was sent to King George V Sanatorium, Hydestile, where he later secured a job in 1964, later moving to Guildford’s Royal Surrey County Hospital took over the branch secretaryship from Les Bennett who had in turn been branch secretary since 1948.

Mr Leslie Bennett of Hascombe was born at Nursecombe in 1920 and worked at St Thomas's hospital, Milford as an Assistant Bath Attendant, he was for many years a Hascombe parish councillor.

The previous Branch Secretary was Harry Stock a Bath Attendant at St Thomas's. Milford, who was the founding Branch Secretary of the union then known as the Hospital & Welfare Services Union from it's inauguration with seven members in July 1943 until Les Bennett took over in 1948. When Harry Stock returned to London. Don Donnellon a pioneering theatre technician was also key in establishing the union at St Thomas's Hospital, Milford

This unique partnership of two branch sectaries since the establishment of the NHS is believed to be unrivalled in British trade union history.

The Surrey union had been originally established by staff from St Thomas’s hospital, London when they were evacuated after the German Luftwaffe had destroyed much of St Thomas’s in September 1940.


One of Les Bennetts first acts as branch secretary was to highlight the plight of student nurses at Hydestile who in 1948 were forced after long shifts to pick onions at 1s 5d an hour for a local market gardener because there pay was insufficient to pay train fare home to London .

Carles Martinez was initially elected Branch Chairman in March 1968 and in 1977 Branch Secretary. During the 30 years, Martinez has built it up to be one of the largest branches with 3,000 members who work in the “acute” sector (over 75% of whom were nursing staff) and has never faced a challenge for his position as secretary.

He has worked and campaigned with politicians of all political persuasions throughout the years to ensure that his members and the interest of local NHS were best realised, illustrated most recently during the campaign to save the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

“Carles Martinez had built a reputation not only locally but nationally for the wholehearted commitment he had shown to his members interests and to the that of our National Health Service,” said UNISON assistant general secretary, Bob Abberley. “The branch had been very fortunate to have a man of such high calibre at the helm for the last 30 years and he will be greatly missed by all who know him, but we can assure him that the foundations he has laid will continue to be built upon.


At the end of the evening Mr Martinez thanked his many friends, particularly Les Bennett and thanked his wife Tatjanana, until recently a senior sister at RSCH for her continued support.

Addition to Surrey Advertiser Article

Carles Martinez COHSE Guildford & Dist 1333 Retires

Carles Martinez

Carles Martinez the COHSE & UNISON Branch Secretary at the Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH), Guildford is retiring (November 2007).

Carles born in Barcelona in 1939, came to London for work in 1963.




After a spell of hospitalisation at King George V Hospital, Godalming, he secured a job at the hospital started at Hydestile hospital in the Catering Department

In 1968 he was elected Chairman of the Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) the main hospital workers union in the area. In 1966 he took over from Les Bennett (right in photo) as Branch Secretary and held the position to date (January 2007).

A very popular Branch Secretary, he built up a branch (which covers West Surrey) of over 2,000, the vast majority of whom are nurses and encouraged a large number of branch activists including three UNISON full time officials.