Thomas Jackson (trade unionist)

For other people named Thomas Jackson, see Thomas Jackson (disambiguation).

Thomas Jackson (9 April 1925 – 6 June 2003) was a British trade unionist and is best remembered as the General Secretary of the Union of Post Office Workers who led 200,000 members into a 47-day strike in 1971, the first national postal strike.

Jackson was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Aged 14 he began work for the GPO as a telegraph boy. He spent three years (1943–46) on wartime service in the Royal Navy. Upon his return he became a postman, and later a sorter, during which time he became involved in the affairs of the Union of Post Office Workers. He became a member of its executive council in 1955 and in 1964 was elected national officer. In 1967, he became General Secretary, a role he held until 1982. He was instantly recognisable to the public for his luxuriant handlebar moustache.

Other positions held

• Governor, BBC (1968–73)
• Member, Annan Committee on the Future of Broadcasting (1974–77)
• Member, court and council of Sussex University (1974–78)
• HM Government appointed director, BP (1975–83)
• Chairman, General Council of TUC (1978–79)
• Chairman, TUC International Committee (1978–82)
• Chairman, Ilkley Literature Festival (1984–87)

Jackson married Norma Burrow in 1947 and had one daughter, Kim. In 1982 he divorced Burrow and married Kathleen Tognarelli in the same year, a marriage which produced another daughter.

After retirement from trade union activities, he ran a second-hand book business, specialising in recipe books. He refused honours from Harold Wilson and later the offer of a peerage in James Callaghan's resignation list in 1979. He died in Ilkley, West Yorkshire on 6 June 2003.

External links

• Tom Jackson: Moderate postal workers' leader whose authority never recovered from a damaging national strike (The Guardian, 07/06/2003)