Arthur Deakin

Arthur Deakin
Arthur Deakin
Born	11 November 1890; Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England
Died	1 May 1955 (aged 64); Leicester, Leicestershire, England
Nationality	United Kingdom
Occupation	Trade Union official

Arthur Deakin CH CBE PC (11 November 1890 – 1 May 1955) was a prominent British trade unionist who was acting general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union from 1940 and then general secretary from 1945 to 1955.

Deakin, third from left middle row, in a World War II patriotic poster

Deakin was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, in 1890. After his father's death, his mother remarried and the family moved to South Wales.[1] He began his working life at the age of 13 at the Dowlais Ironworks.[1] He became an active trade unionist during the First World War and a full-time official in 1919.[1] In 1932, he became national secretary of the General Workers National Trade Group within the TGWU and in 1935 became assistant general secretary. In 1940 he effectively took over the position of general secretary, following the appointment of Ernest Bevin as a cabinet minister. Deakin's period as general secretary was marked by a consolidation of the powers of executive, occasional serious outbreaks of unofficial strike action among union members and a fierce anti-communist line.

Deakin was due to retire in November 1955 but on 1 May 1955 Deakin was addressing a May Day rally at the Corn Exchange in Leicester when he collapsed, he was dead on arrival at hospital.[2]

Deakin was succeeded as general secretary by Jock Tiffin.

References

"Mr. Arthur Deakin." Times [London, England] 2 May 1955: 17. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.
"Mr. A. Deakin Dead." Times [London, England] 2 May 1955: 12. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.

External links

Newspaper clippings about Arthur Deakin in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW

Trade union offices
Preceded by William Devenay	Secretary of the General Workers' Group of the Transport and General Workers' Union 1932–1945	Succeeded by T. H. Hodgson
Preceded by John Cliff	Assistant General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union 1935-1945	Succeeded by Harold Clay
Preceded by Ernest Bevin	General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union 1945-1955 (Acting 1940-1945)	Succeeded by Jock Tiffin
Preceded by Walter Citrine	President of the World Federation of Trade Unions 1946 – 1948	Succeeded by Giuseppe Di Vittorio
Preceded by Tom O'Brien and Sam Watson	Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour 1947 With: Robert Openshaw	Succeeded by Herbert Bullock and William Harold Hutchinson
Preceded by Alfred Roberts	President of the Trades Union Congress 1952	Succeeded by Tom O'Brien
Preceded by Robert Bratschi	President of the International Transport Workers' Federation 1954–1955	Succeeded by Hans Jahn

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[obit-1] "Mr. Arthur Deakin." Times [London, England] 2 May 1955: 17. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.

[times-2] "Mr. A. Deakin Dead." Times [London, England] 2 May 1955: 12. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2013.

Transport and General Workers' Union
General Secretaries	1922: Ernest Bevin 1940: Arthur Deakin 1955: Jock Tiffin 1955: Frank Cousins 1969: Jack Jones 1978: Moss Evans 1985: Ron Todd 1992: Bill Morris 2004: Tony Woodley
Deputy General Secretaries	1974: Harry Urwin 1980: Alec Kitson 1986: Bill Morris 1992: Jack Adams 1999: Margaret Prosser 2002: Tony Woodley 2003: Jack Dromey
Assistant General Secretaries	1924: John Cliff 1935: Arthur Deakin 1940: Harold Clay 1948: Jock Tiffin 1955: Frank Cousins 1956: Harry Nicholas 1968: Harry Urwin 1974: Vacant 1985: Eddie Haigh and Larry Smith 1988: Eddie Haigh 1991: Vacant 1999: Barry Camfield and Jimmy Elsby 2000: Barry Camfield and Ray Collins
Forerunners	Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen Amalgamated Carters, Lurrymen and Motormen's Union Amalgamated Association of Carters and Motormen Associated Horsemen's Union Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union Labour Protection League National Amalgamated Labourers' Union National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staffs National Union of Ships' Clerks, Grain Weighers and Coalmeters National Union of Vehicle Workers National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union North of England Trimmers' and Teemers Association North of Scotland Horse and Motormen's Association United Vehicle Workers
Other topics	Amalgamations National Transport Workers' Federation Trades Union Congress Transport House Unite

World Federation of Trade Unions
General Secretaries	Louis Saillant Pierre Gensous Enrique Pastorino Ibrahim Zakaria Alexander Zharikov George Mavrikos
Presidents	Walter Citrine Arthur Deakin Giuseppe Di Vittorio Agostino Novella Renato Bitossi Enrique Pastorino Sándor Gáspár Indrajit Gupta Ibrahim Zakaria Antonio Neto K. L. Mahendra Shaban Assouz Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba
Affiliated national centres	Bangladesh BTUK Bolivia COB Cuba CTC Greece PAME India AITUC – CITU Indonesia KASBI Iran Workers' House Japan Zenroren DPR Korea GFTUK Palestine GUPW Perú CGTP Spain Intersindical-CSC – CIG – LAB Senegal FGTS South Africa COSATU Sudan SWTUF Syria GFTU Vietnam VGCL
Affiliated unions	Guyana GAWU South Africa NEHAWU UK RMT
Trade Union Internationals	Agroalimentary, Food, Commerce, Textile and Allied Banks, Insurance and Financial Building, Wood, Building Materials and Allied Energy Mining, Metallurgy and Metal Pensioners and Retired Persons Public and Allied Teachers Tourism and Hotels Transport