William John Evans (4 October 1899 – 23 August 1983) 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 union 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 ( ...

leader. Evans began working for the

London North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 in rail transport, 1846 and 1922 in rail transport, 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdo ...

in 1916, but almost immediately left to serve in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, as

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 ...

was ongoing. Demobbed in 1921, he returned to the railways, and joined the

Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) is a British trade union representing train drivers. It is part of the International Transport Workers' Federation and the European Transport Workers' Federation. At the end of ...

(ASLEF). He also became active in the Labour Party, and served on Eccles Town Council from 1932 to 1934. In 1934, Evans was elected to the executive committee of ASLEF, and he served as the union's president from 1937 to 1939. He then became its full-time Organising Secretary, serving until 1956, when he was promoted to become Assistant General Secretary. He was elected as General Secretary of ASLEF in 1960, but retired three years later. From 1963 to 1969, he was the civil representative on the National Association for Employment of Regular Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen. Evans also 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 ...

, and the executive of the

International Transport Workers' Federation The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is a democratic global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2017 the ITF had 677 member organizations in 149 countries, representing a combined membership ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, William 1899 births 1983 deaths General secretaries of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress Royal Navy personnel of World War I