Norman Willis
Norman David Willis (21 January 1933 – 7 June 2014) was the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the United Kingdom from 1984 to 1993, and President of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) from 1991 to 1993.
Norman Willis | |
|---|---|
| President of the European Trade Union Confederation | |
| In office 1991–1993 | |
| Preceded by | Ernst Breit |
| Succeeded by | Fritz Verzetnitsch |
| General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 7 September 1984 – 10 September 1993 | |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Len Murray |
| Succeeded by | John Monks |
| Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 1977–1984 | |
| General Secretary | Len Murray |
| Preceded by | new position |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Graham |
| Assistant General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 1973–1977 | |
| General Secretary | Len Murray |
| Preceded by | Len Murray |
| Succeeded by | David Lea |
| Staines Urban District Councillor | |
| In office 1971–1974 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 January 1933 Ashford, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 7 June 2014 (aged 81) |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | |
Life
Willis was born in Ashford, Middlesex. He attended Ashford County Grammar School in Ashford, Middlesex, and studied at Ruskin College and Oriel College, Oxford. He was a Labour councillor on Staines UDC from 1971 to 1974.
Career
TGWU
He worked for the TGWU from 1949 to 1951, before two years' National Service. From 1959 to 1970 he was the personal assistant to the General Secretary of the TGWU.
TUC
He became assistant General Secretary of the TUC in 1974. The leadership of Norman Willis from 1984[1] coincided in the late 1980s with a period of considerable change for the Trade Union movement in the UK: union membership was falling; the movement was facing power-limiting legislation from the Conservative government; and the Labour Party was conducting a fundamental review of its policies and the nature of its links with the unions.[2]
Personal life
He was a patron of the Embroiderers' Guild,[3] a British embroidery organisation, and former President of the Arthur Ransome Society (TARS). He was a renowned raconteur. He married Maureen Kenning in 1963. They had a son and a daughter.
References
- Glasgow Herald. "Brighton rock". 3 September 1984, p. 8. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- McKinlay, John. "Strike ballot vote sets scene for Kinnock". Glasgow Herald, 2 September 1986, p. 7. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- GetHampshire.co.uk. "Community stitch-up on show". 27 November 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- "Norman Willis 1933 – 2014". TUC. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- "Norman Willis obituary". TheGuardian.com. 25 June 2014.