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Joseph Crawford, (2 April 1910''
As leader of the union, Crawford represented it at the
Joseph Crawford, (2 April 1910''1939 England and Wales Register
The National Registration Act 1939 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The initial National Registration Bill was introduced to Parliament as an emergency measure at the start of the Second World War.
The Act provided for the estab ...
'' – August 1997) was a British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
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 ...
.
Crawford was born in New Kyo
New Kyo is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated close to the A693 road between Annfield Plain and Stanley, and is slightly larger than nearby East Kyo and West Kyo
West Kyo (also known locally as Old Kyo) is a small vil ...
, Annfield Plain in County Durham,''1911 England Census'' where he attended the local school, then began working as a coal miner
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
at the age of fourteen.
He married Hannah Jane Horswill on 3 June 1933. They had three children Trevor, Jean and Pauline.
At the age of 29, he was promoted to become a deputy, and joined the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers
The National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers (NACODS) is an organisation representing former colliery deputies and under-officials in the coal industry.
History
NACODS was established as a national trade union in 1910. P ...
(NACODS). He became increasingly active in the union, as secretary of his local branch, then as general secretary of its Durham area and a member of the National Council. In 1953, he was elected as the union's vice president, then in 1956 he became its president, and finally in 1960 he was elected as general secretary of the national union. Labour Party, ''Labour'' (1972), p. 33.
As leader of the union, Crawford represented it at the Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions. There are 48 affiliated unions, with a total of about 5.5 million members. Frances ...
(TUC), and he served on its General Council. Between 1972 and 1973, he was the President of the TUC. He retired from his trade union posts later that year.
Crawford spoke at many conferences around the globe including being presented a gold Hartford University graduation ring for attending and speaking at a seminar at the University whilst in America.
In his spare time, Crawford also served on the Mining Qualifications Board, as a governor of Ruskin College
Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is not a college of Oxford University. It is named after the essayist, art and social critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) an ...
, the United World College of the Atlantic
Atlantic College (formally the United World College of the Atlantic; alternatively styled UWC Atlantic College, UWCAC, or UWCA) is an independent boarding school in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. Founded in 1962, it was the first of t ...
, and Welbeck College
Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (stylised as Welbeck – The Defence Sixth Form College), formerly named and often referred to as simply Welbeck College, was an independent, selective sixth form college in Leicestershire, England. While run a ...
, and was a member of the council of St George's House (Windsor Castle). He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1971 Birthday Honours
The 1971 Queen's Birthday Honours were appointments to orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms to reward and highlight citizens' good works, on the occasion of the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. They were announced in supplemen ...
. for his services to the Mining Industry (particularly towards working conditions and Health and Safety).
He also served for many years as a Methodist lay preacher and was wholly religious.
References