David Basnett, Baron Basnett (9 February 1924 – 25 January 1989) was a British trade union leader. Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, Basnett studied at Quarry Bank High School before becoming a bank clerk. He served as a pilot with the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, then in 1948 began working for the

National Union of General and Municipal Workers The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (N ...

(NUGMW), as their regional officer for Liverpool.Basnett, David
, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' In 1955, Basnett became the NUGMW's national education officer, while, in 1960, he was appointed national industrial officer, and in 1966 he was elected to the general council of 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). In 1970, he negotiated a satisfactory settlement to a major dispute at Pilkington, and he used this success as a springboard to win election as the union's general secretary in 1973. As general secretary, Basnett pursued a campaign of centralisation, aimed to increase participation, and conducted numerous mergers with smaller unions, the NUGMW changing its name twice under his leadership, becoming the "General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union" in 1982. He served as

President of the TUC The President of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in British trade unionism. History Initially, the post of president was elected at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) itself, and would serve just for the d ...

in 1978, and was also on the National Enterprise Board and the

National Economic Development Council National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

. In 1979, Basnett founded Trade Unionists for a Labour Victory, and spent much of the next decade promoting conference between trade union and Labour Party members. He took early retirement in 1986, frustrated at the lack of progress from these initiatives. He was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

on 31 March 1987 taking the title Baron Basnett, ''of

Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley District of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxon period, Leathe ...

, in the

County of Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Are ...

''. Lord Basnett died on 25 January 1989, at the age of 64.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basnett, David 1924 births 1989 deaths People educated at Quarry Bank High School British World War II pilots General Secretaries of the GMB (trade union) Life peers Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress Trade unionists from Liverpool Presidents of the Trades Union Congress Place of death missing