Norman Willis

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 (1933-01-21)
Ashford, Surrey, England
Died 7 June 2014 (2014-06-08) (aged 81)
Political party Labour
Alma mater

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.

Life

Willis was born in Ashford, Surrey. 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.

Willis died on 7 June 2014.[4][5]

References

  1. Glasgow Herald. "Brighton rock". 3 September 1984, p. 8. Retrieved on 25 May 2013.
  2. McKinlay, John. "Strike ballot vote sets scene for Kinnock". Glasgow Herald, 2 September 1986, p. 7. Retrieved on 25 May 2013.
  3. GetHampshire.co.uk. "Community stitch-up on show". 27 November 2007. Retrieved on 25 May 2013.
  4. "Norman Willis 1933 – 2014". TUC. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  5. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/25/norman-willis
Political offices
Preceded by
Len Murray
Assistant General Secretary of the TUC
1973–1977
Succeeded by
David Lea
Preceded by
New position
Deputy General Secretary of the TUC
1977–1984
Succeeded by
Kenneth Graham
Preceded by
Len Murray
General Secretary of the TUC
1984–1993
Succeeded by
John Monks
Preceded by
Ernst Breit
President of the ETUC
1991–1993
Succeeded by
Fritz Verzetnitsch
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