Percy Astins (22 February 1888[1] – 1 March 1963) was a British trade unionist and politician.

Astins became active in the London United Society of Plate Printers, and served as its final general secretary. In 1919, he took the union into a merger with the Printing Machine Managers' Trade Society, and began working part-time as an official for the larger union. He was also active in the Labour Party, standing unsuccessfully in Bury St Edmunds at the 1929 United Kingdom general election, and in Ilford at the 1931 and 1935 United Kingdom general elections. He did succeed in winning election to Essex County Council, spending several years as the council's chairman.[2][3]

In 1945, Astins became the full-time general secretary of the Printing Machine Managers' Trade Society. Ten years later, he took the union into a merger with the London Society of Compositors. That union was renamed as the "London Typographical Society", and Astins served as its joint general secretary for a year before he retired.[2]

In retirement, Astins continued to serve as an alderman on Essex County Council, and was also chair of the governors of Essex Technical College, and a magistrate.[2]

In 1947, Astins was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[2]

References

  1. ^ 1939 England and Wales Register
  2. ^ a b c d "Obituary: Percy Astins". Annual Report of the Trades Union Congress: 302. 1963.
  3. ^ "Past Chairmen" (PDF). Essex County Council. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
Trade union offices Preceded byG. E. Barnard General Secretary of the London United Society of Plate Printers 1919 Succeeded byPosition abolished Preceded byF. J. Kitts General Secretary of the Printing Machine Managers' Trade Society 1945–1955 Succeeded byPosition abolished Preceded byRobert Willis General Secretary of the London Typographical Society 1955 With: Robert Willis Succeeded byRobert Willis Civic offices Preceded byGilbertson Smith Chair of Essex County Council 1946–1948 Succeeded byJoseph Hewett Preceded byJoseph Hewett Chair of Essex County Council 1948–1949 Succeeded byFrank Savin Foster
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