View source for John Edmonds (trade unionist)

{{Short description|British trade union official}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''John Edmonds''' (born 28 January 1944) is a British former [[trade union]] official.

Edmonds grew up in [[South London]], and was educated at [[Christ's Hospital School]] and [[Oriel College, Oxford]]. On graduation, he found work as a research assistant with the [[National Union of General and Municipal Workers]], moving on to become a field officer, then a National Industrial Officer.<ref>Stuart Thomson, "[http://www.stuartthomson.co.uk/books/biography/edmonds/ John (Walter) Edmonds] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002092618/http://www.stuartthomson.co.uk/books/biography/edmonds/ |date=2011-10-02 }}"</ref>

In 1986, Edmonds became General Secretary of the union, by then known as the [[GMB Union|GMB]]. In this role, he became known as a critic of [[Tony Blair]]'s leadership of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. He stood down as leader in 2003, one year ahead of schedule.<ref>Ben Russell, "[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/edmonds-to-step-down-as-gmb-leader-a-year-early-615190.html Edmonds to step down as GMB leader a year early]", ''[[The Independent]]'', 29 October 2002</ref> In retirement, he has remained active in the Labour Party in south and west London.

==References==
<references />

{{s-start}}
{{s-npo|union}}
{{succession box|title=National Industrial Officer of the [[National Union of General and Municipal Workers]]|years=1971 &ndash; 1986|before=[[Ken Baker (trade unionist)|Ken Baker]]|after=[[Pat Turner (trade unionist)|Pat Turner]]}}
{{succession box | title=General Secretary of the [[GMB Union|GMB]] | before=[[David Basnett]] | after=[[Kevin Curran (trade unionist)|Kevin Curran]] | years= 1986–2003}}
{{succession box
 | title = [[President of the Trades Union Congress]]
 | years = 1998
 | before = [[Tony Dubbins]]
 | after = [[Hector MacKenzie]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{GMB (trade union)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonds, John}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford]]
[[Category:People educated at Christ's Hospital]]
[[Category:General secretaries of the GMB (trade union)]]
[[Category:Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Trades Union Congress]]
[[Category:British republicans]]