[1][2] He remained in this post until 1934, when he was appointed as the National Union of Seamen's (NUS) full-time delegate in Glasgow.
[2] Scott continued his career with the NUS when, in 1940, he was appointed as a branch secretary in Grangemouth, then four years later, he became the union's representative in Mumbai, soon moving on to similar posts in Canada and the United States.
[2] He was promoted to become National Organiser in 1955, and then elected as the union's treasurer and an assistant general secretary in 1959.
[3] In 1960, Scott was elected as General Secretary of the NUS, beating William Sinclair, George Lipman and Thomas Sutton, and taking up the post at the start of the following year.
[1] Alongside leading the union, he was elected to serve on the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, the National Maritime Board, the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, the council of Ruskin College, and the executive of the International Transport Workers' Federation.