John Martin Bonfield (1 May 1915 – 9 January 1976) 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 ...

. Bonfield grew up in Hitchin in Hertfordshire before becoming a printer. He joined the Typographical Association, becoming its National Assistant Secretary in 1948, then General President in 1955 and General Secretary in 1957. That year, he was also elected to the executive of the International Graphical Federation, becoming president in 1967. In 1961, he was also elected as President of the

Printing and Kindred Trades Federation The Printing and Kindred Trades Federation (P&KTF) was a trade union federation in the United Kingdom. History The federation was established at a conference in Manchester on 8 September 1890, organised on the initiative of George D. Kelley. Th ...

.Bonfield, John Martin
, ''

Who Was Who ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It is a book, and also a CD-ROM and a website, giving information on influential people from around the world. Published annually as a book since 1849, it lists people who influence British life, according to i ...

'' Under Bonfield's leadership, the Typographical Association merged with the London Typographical Society to form the

National Graphical Association The National Graphical Association (NGA) was a trade union representing typographers and related workers in the United Kingdom. History The union was formed in 1964 by the merger of two long-term rival unions, the Typographical Association and ...

. Bonfield became joint general secretary, with Robert Willis, working alone from 1965 to 1967 while Willis took a leave of absence, and serving permanently alone from 1969, when Willis retired. Bonfield retired from most of his trade union posts in 1974, although he remained general secretary of the NGA, and also on the Eastern Electricity Board, a part-time post he had held since 1968. He died early in 1976.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonfield, John 1915 births 1976 deaths General Secretaries of the National Graphical Association People from Hitchin