Harold Francis Collison, Baron Collison,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, (10 May 1909 – 29 December 1995) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

trade unionist A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. Born in the East End of London, Collison grew up in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

and attended the Crypt School, before working on a farm from the age of seventeen. He joined the

National Union of Agricultural Workers The National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers (NUAAW) was a trades union representing farmworkers in the United Kingdom. The Union was founded in 1906 by trade union activist George Edwards. It was dissolved in 1982 when it merged into ...

and was also active in the Labour Party. From 1946, he worked at the union headquarters in London, and in 1953 he was elected General Secretary. In 1960, he became President of the

International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers The International Federation of Plantation and Agricultural Workers (IFPAAW) was a global union federation bringing together unions representing land workers. History The federation was created on December 2, 1959, when the Plantation Workers In ...

, serving until 1976, and he was also a member of the executive of the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

. In the

1961 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1961 were appointments by many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 31 December 1960 in the ...

he was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE). He was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

on 14 December 1964 as Baron Collison, ''of

Cheshunt Cheshunt (/ˈtʃɛzənt/ CHEZ-ənt) is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, situated within the London commuter belt approximately north of Central London. The town lies on the River Lea and Lee Navigation, bordering th ...

, in the

County of Hertford Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

''. In 1965, Collison served as

President of the Trades Union Congress The president of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in United Kingdom, British trade unionism. History Initially, the post of president was elected at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) itself, and would serv ...

. In 1969, he resigned as General Secretary of the union to become Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission.

References

1909 births 1995 deaths General secretaries of the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers Labour Party (UK) life peers Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People from Gloucester Presidents of the Trades Union Congress People educated at The Crypt School, Gloucester Life peers created by Elizabeth II {{life-peer-stub