Joseph King (28 November 1914 – 21 September 1989) was a British

trade unionist A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

. King grew up in Atherton and left school at the age of fourteen, finding work in a local cotton mill. He joined the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing and Ring Room Operatives (Cardroom Amalgamation), and also the Labour Party; in 1949, he was elected to

Tyldesley Tyldesley () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it is north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, southeast of Wigan ...

Urban District Council In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...

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'' King subsequently became a full-time organiser for the Cardroom Amalgamation, then the secretary of its affiliate, the North East Lancashire Card and Blowing Room Operatives' and Ring Spinners' Association. In 1962, he was elected as the union's general secretary, and served on the

General Council of the Trades Union Congress The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

from 1972. During this period, the cotton industry was in steep decline, and King negotiated a merger with the Amalgamated Weavers' Association in 1974, forming the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union; he served as joint general secretary of the new union for a year. In 1975, King became an adviser to the

Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a Crown non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong ...

, serving for three years. In his spare time, King was the founder and president of the Accrington Pakistan Friendship Association, and he also served as a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Joe 1914 births 1989 deaths Councillors in Lancashire Trade unionists from the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan General Secretaries of the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives Labour Party (UK) councillors Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from Atherton, Greater Manchester