Ken Thomas (trade unionist)

Kenneth Rowland Thomas OBE (7 February 1927 – 12 August 2008) was a Welsh trade unionist and General Secretary of the Civil and Public Services Association (CPSA).

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

Early life

Thomas was born in Penarth, Glamorgan. His father died when he was a boy, and he was brought up by his mother and two sisters.[1] After Penarth Grammar School, he worked briefly as a trainee journalist for the South Wales Echo and Western Mail from 1943 to 1944.[2]

Civil Service career

Thomas joined the Civil Service in 1944. He became an assistant secretary of the CPSA from 1955 until 1967, Deputy General Secretary from 1967 and was appointed General Secretary of the union in 1976, a post from which he retired in 1982, asking for a composition by Welsh composer Daniel Jones.[3] He was also a member of the TUC General Council from 1977 to 1982.

Retirement

In retirement Thomas sat on various boards and committees including Occupational Pensions Board (1981–1997); the Civil Service Appeal Board (1984–91); the Law Society Professional Purposes Committee (1984–86); and the Solicitors' Complaints Bureau (1986–92). He was also a trustee of the Post Office Pension Fund (1969–84), the London Development Capital Fund (1984–99) and the British Telecommunications Fund (1983–97) as well being a director of the West Midlands Enterprise Board from 1982, the Warwickshire Venture Capital Fund (1988–91) and the West Midlands Growth Fund (1990–2005).[1]

He was appointed an OBE in 1995.[2]

References
  1. Ken Thomas, Telegraph 19/8/2008 – retrieved 2/8/2011
  2. Ken Thomas: Civil Service trade union leader Independent 16/8/2008 – retrieved 2/8/2011
  3. Ken Thomas: leader of the Civil and Public Services Association, Times 16/8/2008 – retrieved 2/8/2011
Trade union offices
Preceded by
Bill Kendall		 General Secretary of the Civil and Public Services Association
1976–1982		 Succeeded by
Alistair Graham
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