Paul Tofahrn (8 January 1901 – 7 February 1979) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

and international trade union leader. Born in Manderfeld, Tofahrn grew up in Germany, France, Belgium and Italy, as his father moved to find work. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he worked as an agricultural labourer, then in industry, before finding work on the railways in Losheim. Because he was fluent in both French and German languages, he was able to play a leading role in the transfer of railways in the Eupen-Malmedy region to Belgium. He also joined the Belgian Railwaymen's Union, and took part in its 1923 strike.Richard Temple, "Tofahrn, Paul", ''Dictionary of Labour Biography'', vol.X, pp.208–210 For his activism, Tofahrn was sacked, and he instead began working full time for the union. In 1928, he became assistant secretary of the railwaymen's section of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). His language skills saw him working closely with

Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 – 14 April 1951) was a British statesman, trade union leader, and Labour Party politician. He co-founded and served as General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union in the years 1922–194 ...

, but in 1931 he moved to Zurich to take a research post with the International Federation of Food and Drink Workers. He returned to Belgium in 1934, and became regional secretary of the

Belgian Labour Party The Belgian Labour Party ( nl, Belgische Werkliedenpartij, BWP; french: Parti ouvrier belge, POB) was the first major socialist party in Belgium. Founded in 1885, the party was officially disbanded in 1940 and superseded by the Belgian Socialist ...

in the Tournai area. He proved successful, and became the party's acting general secretary, but the position was not made permanent, and so in November 1938 he returned to the ITF, now as secretary of the railwaymen's section. Tofahrn moved to Paris in 1939, and London in 1940, to avoid the Nazi advances, and keep the ITF operating. In 1943, he was appointed as Assistant General Secretary of the ITF, remaining in post under Jaap Oldenbroek and then

Omer Becu Omer Liévin Benjamin Becu (21 August 1902 – 9 October 1982) was a Belgian trade unionist, who became General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Born in Ostend, Becu trained as a radio operator and joined the ...

, despite frequent disagreements with both. In 1955, he resigned, to become General Secretary of the International Federation of Employees in Public and Civil Services. As leader, he focused on liaising with the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

, and encouraging the growth of trade unions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Tofahrn had a heart attack in 1962, and took six months off work, but later returned and retired only in 1968. He then served as a governor of two schools in Southwark, and served on the executive of the

Pedestrians' Association Living Streets is the United Kingdom charity for everyday walking. It was founded in 1929 as the Pedestrians' Association and became known as the Pedestrians' Association for Road Safety in 1952. The current name was adopted in 2001. It is a v ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tofahrn, Paul 1901 births 1979 deaths German trade unionists People from Büllingen