My husband, Frank Burchill, who has died aged 83, was professor of industrial relations at Keele University. His department was one of the UK’s major centres for industrial relations research, specialising in distance learning courses for shop stewards, trade union officers and human resource professionals.
As Frank’s dry humour, and clarity of thought and analysis of the bargaining process, became more widely known, he was invited to conduct arbitrations and mediations for the conciliation service Acas, eventually becoming deputy chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee.
In 1999, he was asked by Jack Straw, the home secretary, to conduct an inquiry into the machinery for determining firefighters’ conditions of service. Following the acceptance of his recommendations, he was appointed the first independent chairman of the National Joint Council for the UK fire and emergency services. He also chaired the first print and media industry NJC and oversaw in 2003 a major survey, the first of its kind in the industry, aimed at improving employee relations and productivity. From 2002 until 2008 he served on the doctors and dentists’ pay review body. In 2009 he was made OBE.
In 1971 Frank wrote A History of Trade Unionism in the North Staffordshire Textile Industry with Jim Sweeney and in 1977 the History of the Potters’ Union with Richard Ross. His book Labour Relations (1992) is an essential text on most industrial relations courses.
Frank was born in Salford, the second of eight children of Bridie (nee Blackwell) and Bernard Burchill. His father was a Labour councillor and alderman and Amalgamated Engineering Union convenor at the giant Metrovicks factory in Trafford Park, Manchester.
From the De la Salle grammar school Frank went to study economics at Leeds University and then industrial sociology at Liverpool University. In 1961 he began teaching at Fircroft College of Adult Education in Birmingham. In 1967 he moved to Keele University’s adult education department, where he set up day-release courses for miners and shop steward training programmes.
Frank was a supporter of Manchester United; wherever in the world he happened to be he would find a way of watching every match. Jazz music, especially Duke Ellington, was always with him. He was an avid movie fan and an expert on John Ford westerns.
He was an amazing darts player. With a twinkle in his eye he would accept the challenge from his students, after a day’s teaching, to a game of darts in the local pub, where the loser paid for all the drinks. Frank never had to put his hand in his pocket once.
He and I married in 1996 and Frank is survived by me, and seven children: Jan, Steve, Johnny, Kath and Liz, from his first marriage, to Val (nee Gaskell), which ended in divorce; and Jenette and Richard, from my earlier marriage; and five grandchildren, Shannon, Michael, Thomas, James and Ava.
