Abe Moffat

Abraham Moffat (24 September 1896 – 28 March 1975) was a Scottish trade unionist and communist activist. He was elected repeatedly to high office in the trade unions and represented the union on government coal boards. He held major union offices: President of the National Union of Scottish Mine Workers; member of the executive committee of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain; Vice-chairman Scottish Regional Coal Board; and member National Coal Board. His family had a long tradition of involvement in mining trade unionism; his grandfather had been a pioneer of the trade union in the Lothians in the 1860s, but was forced to move to Fife due to victimisation.

He left school at the age of fourteen to work at the local coal mine, while spending his spare time competing in middle-distance athletics.

Two years later, Moffat was elected president of the union, beating Jimmy McKendrick. He used the post to advocate increased output during World War II, and was re-elected in 1944 with a large majority over Hugh Brannan.

In 1943, Moffat met King George VI at a reception at the Gleneagles Hotel. Newspaper reports noted that the two discussed production levels in Scottish mines. On 8 October 1947 Moffat testified at the Whitehaven Explosion Inquiry. Moffat was also involved in inquiries into disasters at pits in Knockshinnoch, Kames, Lindsay and Auchengeich. He was known for his passion and grasp of detail at the inquiries, and as a result was nicknamed the "Miners QC".

When the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was formed in 1945, Moffat was elected to its executive, serving until his retirement. He stood for the presidency of the NUM in 1954, losing to Ernest Jones. In this period he also assisted Robin Page Arnot with writing his History of the Scottish Miners.

Moffat retired in 1961. He was succeeded as president of the Scottish Mineworkers by his younger brother, Alex. In his later years, Abe Moffat devoted his time to the Scottish Old Age Pensioners' Association until his death in 1975.