Sir William Owen Campbell Adamson (26 June 1922 – 21 August 2000) was a British industrialist, who was best known for his work as director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) from 1969 to 1976. He rose through the steel industry, where he was in charge of labour relations, and worked as a government adviser during the late 1960s.
Coming to the CBI at the peak of political controversy over the Labour government's attempt to reform trade union law, Adamson held the difficult role of representing industry through the complex struggle over Edward Heath's Industrial Relations Bill. Remarks he made about Government policy on the eve of the February 1974 election were blamed by Heath for the Conservative Party's loss of the election. Adamson was able to unite industry to support the British application to join the European Communities. In later life as Chairman of Abbey National, Adamson led the move to demutualise and convert it from a building society to a bank, and saw an overwhelming majority of the society's members support the move. Also interested in family policy, he set up the Family Policy Studies Centre.
Family and education Adamson was born in Perth,Geoffrey Goodman, "Campbell Adamson" (obituary), The Guardian, 23 August 2000, p. 24. the only son of John Adamson who was a chartered accountant."Who Was Who", A & C Black. His father was a strong Scottish patriot who was said to dislike "even the idea of living south of the border", but was persuaded by an attractive job offer to do so. Campbell Adamson was sent to Rugby School, and then went up to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he read economics under John Maynard Keynes.
In 1945, he married Gilvray Allan (d.1988), a sociologist: they had four children. They divorced in 1984. He married secondly, in 1984, Mimi Lloyd-Chandler.
Entry into steel industry Due to hereditary night-blindness, Adamson was rejected for military service during World War II, despite his efforts to offer his services; instead he joined the Royal Institute of International Affairs. As the war was coming to an end, Adamson took a post in industry as a management trainee for steelmaker Baldwins based in south Wales. Once trained he became general manager of the Spencer Steelworks at Llanwern; the steel industry was undergoing major changes at the time due to nationalisation and Baldwins merged with Richard Thomas in 1948 as part of the 'Steel Company of Wales'. Adamson was in charge of labour relations and his method of fair negotiation with the trade unions gave him a reputation which extended outside the steel industry."Sir Campbell Adamson" (obituary), The Times, 24 August 2000, p. 21.
Although the Conservative government from 1951 wanted to privatise the steel industry, it was unable to sell the Steel Company of Wales due to its size; however, it tried to operate as though in private ownership. Adamson became a Director of Richard Thomas and Baldwins in 1959, and in 1960 he was appointed to the council of the Iron and Steel Institute. His position made him politically prominent. Adamson was not a supporter of the Labour Party (claiming that hearing Herbert Morrison speak of the party's virtues had put him off), but he was known to be a 'liberal capitalist with a profound social awareness'.
Civil service posts After the Labour government created the Department of Economic Affairs, Adamson was invited to take a role with the civil service. He became Industrial Policy Co-ordinator and the head of a team of industrial advisors from July 1967."New DEA industrial advisers", The Times, 8 July 1967, p. 17. However the post offered little opportunity for Adamson. The whole steel industry was renationalised, and the chairman Lord Melchett wanted to give him a senior role but nothing came of it. Adamson had already been named as a member of the BBC General Advisory Council in October 1964."B.B.C. Council Has 24 New Members", The Times, 21 October 1964, p. 8.
Recruitment by the CBI At the end of April 1969, Adamson left the Department of Economic Affairs,"Adamson leaves DEA", The Times, 28 April 1969, p. 17. just as rumours circulated that the department would be abolished. He intended to seek another position in the steel business. In the meantime he decided to take a long holiday and go on a three-month safari drive across the Sahara"Safari, then steel", Business Diary, The Times, 28 April 1969, p. 23. with his wife. Just as they were about to depart, John Davies telephoned to tell Adamson that he was about to leave his job as Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry and to suggest that Adamson put his name forward. The Adamsons went on their holiday as arranged, leaving poste restante addresses in Algiers and Cairo, and it was at the latter where Adamson received the letter formally inviting him to take up the post.
Adamson accepted his new post, declaring as he did so that he was firmly supportive of the Government's application for membership of the European Common Market.Giles Smith, "New CBI chief backs Government move on Six", The Times, 15 August 1969, p. 17. In his first major policy speech he stressed the need for investment in modern plant and equipment.Dennis Dwyer, "Outdated plant threat to British industry", The Times, 23 October 1969, p. 22. In his first year, he opposed plans by the Labour government to merge the Monopolies Commission and the Prices and Incomes Board,"CBI attacks plan for new 'superboard'", The Times, 22 January 1970, p. 19. plans which were dropped when the Labour government was defeated.
Prices and incomes policy During the 1970 general election campaign, Adamson presented a "hastily-prepared" paper on wage settlements to the CBI council, and issued a warning to the major political parties that the new Government must do something to restrain wage increases, including a new prices and incomes policy if needed.Gliles Smith, "CBI election call for curb on wage claims", The Times, 21 May 1970, p. 19. Late in the campaign, Adamson held talks with Trades Union Congress general secretary Victor Feather to negotiate a voluntary productivity, prices and incomes policy."CBI-TUC policy talks hope", The Times, 15 June 1970, p. 21. Adamson felt that the CBI ought to be fundamentally engaged in attempts to secure industrial peace.
After the Conservatives took power, Adamson welcomed the abolition of the Prices and Incomes Board and the requirement for companies to give "early warning" of pay and price increases.Maurice Corina, "CBI welcomes move", The Times, 24 July 1970, p. 19. Adamson generally welcomed the Government's policy of non-intervention in industry, but made Ministers (including his predecessor John Davies, who had become Minister of Technology) aware that there would still be a role for the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation and that investment grants should not be altered too speedily for industry to adjust."CBI worry over Tory industrial policy", The Times, 18 September 1970, p. 20.
Throughout 1971, Adamson worked with CBI members to persuade them to restrain pay rises; it was revealed in April 1971 that he had talked personally with Vic Feather of the TUC about an agreement between them, which Adamson thought "much nearer than it was before". The TUC wanted the agreement to include prices and dividends, which the CBI accepted in principle.Giles Smith, "TUC and CBI in secret talks on pay and prices", The Times, 16 April 1971, p. 1. Adamson worked to get agreement on prices, and on 8 September 176 of the 201 largest member companies in the CBI signed an undertaking to hold prices stable (or at least restrict rises to no more than 5%) for 12 months.Giles Smith, "76 larger firms sign 5pc prices pledge: 'massively encouraging' says the CBI", The Times, 9 September 1971, p. 17. The agreement was held to be binding on all 900 members of the CBI.Aubrey Silberston, "Adamson, Sir (William Owen) Campbell (1922–2000)" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, accessed 2 August 2008. Adamson was later to cite the agreement by industry to restrain prices over 1971–72 as his greatest achievement; it allowed the Government's prices policy to half the rate of inflation.
Industrial relations The Conservatives had come to power with a pledge to reform industrial relations laws. When the detailed proposals were unveiled in October 1970, Adamson gave a welcome for the principle while observing that they were more far-reaching than the CBI's suggestions on enforceability of agreements.Giles Smith, "Guarded welcome for industrial relations reform proposals", The Times, 6 October 1970, p. 23. The plans were vociferously opposed by the trade unions. Adamson largely stayed out of the debate over the Industrial Relations Bill during its stormy passage through Parliament, but tried to play the role of an intermediary between the Government and the National Union of Mineworkers after the union went on strike in early 1972, making another plea for greater co-operation between unions and management.Malcolm Brown, "'Time to work together,' CBI chief tells TUC", The Times, 15 April 1972, p. 1.
With the Industrial Relations Act coming into effect, at the beginning of August 1972 Adamson agreed with Victor Feather of the TUC to set up an independent conciliation and advice service. According to Feather both sides saw this as one means of minimising the use of the Act.Paul Routledge, "Use of industry Act to be kept to minimum", The Times, 3 August 1972, p. 1. Through 1973 the government, CBI and TUC tried to establish a working relationship which suited all, but were unable to do so before the economic effects of the oil price rise caused profound disruption to the British economy. On other issues Adamson was strongly supportive of the Government, including giving consistent backing to entry to the European Communities. His leadership in this area was said to be crucial.
Miners' strike Following the oil shock, the NUM renewed its claim for a substantial wage increase, a claim which broke government pay guidelines, and then began industrial action in the form of an overtime ban in support of the claim. The sudden shortage of coal in the middle of the winter forced the Government to announce a 'three-day week' of restrictions of electricity by industry. Adamson deplored the move but regarded it as the lesser of two evils because industry might not be able to operate at all.Paul Routledge, "CBI wants more talks with the unions", The Times, 22 December 1973, p. 15. Adamson supported the Government's refusal to concede the miners' pay claim because of concerns that other wage claims would follow, although he conceded that it could be supported if there was a watertight guarantee that other unions would settle within the limits.Peter Hill and Malcolm Brown, "CBI tells of moves to help industry meet 3-day week cash problems", The Times, 12 January 1974, p. 17.
Later in January 1974 Adamson called for a relaxation to a five-day working week and industry undertaking voluntary power-saving measures.Malcolm Brown, "Businessmen ask Lord Carrington for switch back to 5-day working", The Times, 22 January 1974, p. 17. Adamson and the CBI accepted, although not without reservation, the Government's proposal for an inquiry by a Pay Relativities Board into comparisons between pay for miners and for other workers,Malcolm Brown, "Employers to back relativities board", The Times, 5 February 1974, p. 1. although the confederation decided against submitting evidence.Malcolm Brown, "CBI decides not to give evidence on pit pay relativities", The Times, 21 February 1974, p. 17.
February 1974 general election