George Middleton (trade unionist)


George Walker Middleton was a Scottish trade union leader.
Middleton grew up in Glasgow and attended Keppochhill School before becoming active in the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers. He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain, becoming the party's Glasgow District Organiser, and stood unsuccessfully in Glasgow St Rollox at the 1929 general election. That year, he was a key leader of the Glasgow Hunger March.
Middleton served as secretary of the Glasgow Trades Council from 1942 until 1949, then in 1949 was elected as General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, serving until 1963. In retirement, he chaired the Herring Industry Board and served as vice-chair of the Economic Planning Council for Scotland.
In 1953, Middleton was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.