Thomas Jackson (trade unionist)

Thomas Jackson (9 April 1925 - 6 June 2003) was a British trade unionist and is best remembered as the General Secretary of the Union of Post Office Workers who led 200,000 members into a 47-day strike in 1971, the first national postal strike.

Biography

Jackson was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Aged 14 he began work for the GPO as a telegraph boy. He spent three years (1943-46) on wartime service in the Royal Navy. Upon his return he became a postman, and later a sorter, during which time he became involved in the affairs of the Union of Post Office Workers. He became a member of its executive council in 1955 and in 1964 was elected national officer. In 1967, he became General Secretary, a role he held until 1982.

Other positions held

*Governor, BBC (1968-73)
*Member, Annan Committee on the Future of Broadcasting (1974-77)
*Member, court and council of Sussex University (1974-78)
*HM Government director, BP (1975-83)
*Chairman, General Council of TUC (1978-79)
*Chairman, TUC International Committee (1978-82)
*Chairman, Ilkley Literature Festival (1984-87)

Jackson married Norma Burrow in 1947 and had one daughter, Kim. In 1982 he divorced Burrow and married Kathleen Tognarelli in the same year, a marriage which produced another daughter.

After retirement from trade union activities, he ran second-hand book business, specialising in recipe books. He died in Ilkley, West Yorkshire on 6 June 2003.

External links

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,972579,00.html Tom Jackson: Moderate postal workers' leader whose authority never recovered from a damaging national strike] (The Guardian, 07/06/2003)