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Joseph Hallsworth

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Sir Joseph Hallsworth (2 December 1884 – 19 July 1974) was a British trade union leader.

Biography

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Born in Audenshaw, near Manchester, Hallsworth began working in 1902 as a clerk for the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees. He soon became the union's assistant secretary, and also became active in the Labour Party, standing unsuccessfully for Stretford at the 1918 general election.[1] He became the union's secretary in 1916, then when this merged to form the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), he was appointed Secretary-General of the new organisation.[2]

In 1926, Hallsworth was first elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and he served as President of the TUC in 1939. He served on a large number of bodies, including the International Labour Organization and the Central Price Regulation Committee during World War II, and as President of the International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, and Technical Employees.[1] In 1947, NUDAW merged to form the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, and Hallsworth was its first Secretary-General, serving for two years.[2] He was knighted in 1946,[3] and stood down from various government committees in 1947, although he joined the National Coal Board. On retirement, he served as Chairman of the North Western Electricity Board, standing down in 1955.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "HALLSWORTH, Sir Joseph", Who Was Who
  2. ^ a b "Papers of Sir Joseph Hallsworth (1884-1974), trade union leader", University of Warwick
  3. ^ "No. 37598". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1946. p. 2756.
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Trade union offices
Preceded by
Alfred Hewitt
Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees
1916–1921
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by
New position
Secretary-General of the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers
1921–1947
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by Food, Drink, etc. Group representative on the General Council of the TUC
1926–1947
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the International Federation of Commercial, Clerical and Technical Employees
1933–1947
Succeeded by
Preceded by
New position
General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
1947–1949
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Trades Union Congress
1939
Succeeded by