Norman Willis
Encyclopedia
Norman David Willis was the General Secretary
of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)
in the United Kingdom from 1984–1993, and President of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
1991–93.
in Ashford
, Middlesex
, and studied at Oriel College, Oxford. He was a Labour councillor on Staines UDC from 1971–4.
from 1949–1951, before two years National Service
. From 1959–1970 he was the personal assistant to the General Secretary of the TGWU.
government; and the Labour Party
was conducting a fundamental review of its policies and the nature of its links with the unions.
organisation, and former President of The Arthur Ransome Society (TARS) http://www.arthur-ransome.org/. He is a renowned raconteur. He married Maureen Kenning in 1963. They have a son and a daughter.
General Secretary of the TUC
The General Secretary of the TUC is the chief permanent officer of the Trades Union Congress, and a major figurehead in the trade union movement in the United Kingdom....
of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
in the United Kingdom from 1984–1993, and President of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
European Trade Union Confederation
The European Trade Union Confederation is a trade union organization which was established in 1973 to represent workers and their national affiliates at the European level....
1991–93.
Early life
He attended Ashford County Grammar SchoolSpelthorne College
Spelthorne College was a sixth form college in Ashford, Surrey, England, positioned on the High Street.-Former school:It was originally founded as Ashford County Grammar School, for 11-18 year olds, in 1911 in what was then the county of Middlesex....
in Ashford
Ashford, Surrey
Ashford is a town almost entirely in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England, with a small part falling within Greater London. It is a suburban development situated 15 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in London and forms part of the London commuter belt...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and studied at Oriel College, Oxford. He was a Labour councillor on Staines UDC from 1971–4.
TGWU
He worked for the TGWUTransport and General Workers' Union
The Transport and General Workers' Union, also known as the TGWU and the T&G, was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland - where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union - with 900,000 members...
from 1949–1951, before two years National Service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
. From 1959–1970 he was the personal assistant to the General Secretary of the TGWU.
TUC
He became assistant General Scretary of the TUC in 1974. The leadership of Norman Willis from 1984 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 ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government; and the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
was conducting a fundamental review of its policies and the nature of its links with the unions.
Personal life
He is a patron of the Embroiderers' Guild, a British embroideryEmbroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
organisation, and former President of The Arthur Ransome Society (TARS) http://www.arthur-ransome.org/. He is a renowned raconteur. He married Maureen Kenning in 1963. They have a son and a daughter.