David Basnett, Baron Basnett (9 February 1924 – 25 January 1989) was a British trade union leader. Born in Liverpool, Basnett studied at

Quarry Bank High School Calderstones School is an English comprehensive school located opposite Calderstones Park on Harthill Road in the Liverpool suburb of Allerton. The school was founded in 1921 as Quarry Bank High School for Boys and its first intake of 225 pu ...

before becoming a bank clerk. He served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force during World War II, then in 1948 began working for the

National Union of General and Municipal Workers The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (N ...

(NUGMW), as their regional officer for Liverpool.Basnett, David
, '' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' In 1955, Basnett became the NUGMW's national education officer, while, in 1960, he was appointed national industrial officer, and in 1966 he was elected to the general council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). In 1970, he negotiated a satisfactory settlement to a major dispute at Pilkington, and he used this success as a springboard to win election as the union's general secretary in 1973. As general secretary, Basnett pursued a campaign of centralisation, aimed to increase participation, and conducted numerous mergers with smaller unions, the NUGMW changing its name twice under his leadership, becoming the "General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union" in 1982. He served as

President of the TUC The President of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in British trade unionism. History Initially, the post of president was elected at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) itself, and would serve just for the d ...

in 1978, and was also on the National Enterprise Board and the

National Economic Development Council National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

. In 1979, Basnett founded Trade Unionists for a Labour Victory, and spent much of the next decade promoting conference between trade union and Labour Party members. He took early retirement in 1986, frustrated at the lack of progress from these initiatives. He was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

on 31 March 1987 taking the title Baron Basnett, ''of Leatherhead, in the

County of Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

''. Lord Basnett died on 25 January 1989, at the age of 64.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basnett, David 1924 births 1989 deaths People educated at Quarry Bank High School British World War II pilots General Secretaries of the GMB (trade union) Life peers Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress Trade unionists from Liverpool Presidents of the Trades Union Congress Place of death missing