Tribute To Passing of Union Leader

"Ted Thompson was undoubtedly one of the most able union leaders of the last half century" CTU president Ross Wilson said today.Ted Thompson, former General Secretary of the Waterside Workers Federation, and Vice President of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, died on May 29 aged 86 years. His funeral is on Tuesday.

"Ted rebuilt the Waterside Workers Federation after the union was all but destroyed by the Government in the historic 1951 Waterfront Dispute" Ross Wilson said.

"A low profile union leader he was an extremely effective negotiator, in both union and business environments" he said

"It was Ted Thompson who led the rebuilding of waterfront workers conditions of employment and permanent employment after the disaster of 1951"

"He pioneered new employment conditions which facilitated the introduction of containerised cargoes and made his union members among the top earning workers in New Zealand"

"The Watersiders' Superannuation Scheme was also an innovative gain which secured a comfortable retirement for a generation of wharfies"

"Ted was a principled unionist and a very fine man, who took an active interest in the union movement right up to the end".