Bill Morris, Baron Morris of Handsworth

William " Bill" Manuel Morris, Baron Morris of Handsworth, of Handsworth in the County of West Midlands Kt OJ DL (* October 19, 1938 in Manchester Parish, Jamaica) is a native of Jamaica, a British trade union official and Labour Party politician, who has been 2006 Life as a peer member of the House of Lords.

Life

Ascent to the General Secretary of the TGWU

Morris emigrated in 1954 from Jamaica to the UK and began his professional career in 1955 at Hardy Spicers. In 1958 he became a member of the trade union Transport and General Workers ' Union ( TGWU ) and worked since 1963 as a department store clerk. After he was the TGWU 1971-1972 Member of the Executive Council main, he began in 1973 his main occupation as a union official at the TGWU and was initially 1973-1973 as district organizer in Nottingham and Derby. He was then to 1979 District Secretary for Nottingham and then 1979-1986 National Secretary for passenger services and trade.

In addition, he was from 1977 to 1987 Member of the Commission for Racial Equality. After he was 1981-1986 Member of the Advisory Board of the main independent Broadcasting Authority IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority ), Morris served from 1987 to 1988 as a member of the advisory board of the main British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC).

In 1986, he followed Alec Kitson as Deputy Secretary General of the TGWU and held this position until his replacement by Jack Adams in 1991. Subsequently, it was 1991 replace Ron Todd as General Secretary of the TGWU and held that office for twelve years to his replacement by Tony Woodley in 2003rd He was thus the first black chairman of a trade union in the UK.

In addition, he served 1987-1999 as a member of the Prince of Wales Youth Business Trust.

President of the TUC and other commitment

During this time he was also the 1986-2003 Member of the Executive Board of the International Transport Workers' Federation and from 1988 to 2003 member of the General Council and Executive Committee of the Trades Union Congress (TUC ), the umbrella organization of British trade unions and also from 1997 to 2003 member of the Council of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration service ( Acas ).

In addition, Morris was 1988-2009 Member of the Employment Appeals Tribunal ( Employment Appeals Tribunal ) and between 1990 and 1992 Member of the European Economic and Social Committee and from 1998 to 2006 Member of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of England.

After the election of the Labour Party in the general election on 1 May 1997 he became a member of the Working Group on the New Deal policies of the new government of Prime Minister Tony Blair and was a 1999, the Royal Commission on the Reform of the House of Lords on. He was also between 1999 and 2005 Member of the Commission for Integrated Transport.

Between 2000 and 2001, Morris was the successor of Rita Donaghy as President of the TUC, and then handed over this office to Tony Young, a union official of the communications workers' union CWU ( Communication Workers Union).

University Chancellor and the House of Lords member

Furthermore, Morris was, which was in 2003 a Knight Bachelor and then on the additional name "Sir" led, between 2000 and 2010 Chancellor of the University of Technology, Jamaica ( UTech ) and also served from 2001 to 2005 as a member of the Registration Board for Architects ( Architects Registration Board).

By Letters Patent dated 7 June 2006 Morris was, who was from 2004 to 2011 Chancellor of Staffordshire University and is also since 2005 a member of the Roundtable on mergers and acquisitions, as a life peer with the title Baron Morris of Handsworth, of Handsworth in the County of West Midlands raised to the peerage. Shortly thereafter, took place on 13 June 2006 his Introduction ( Introduction) as a member of the House of Lords. In the upper house he belongs to the Group of the Labour Party.

Lord Morris is also since 2004 Member of the Board of Directors of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB ) and since 2007 Chairman of the housing association Midland Heart Housing Associtation and was from 2007 to 2012 and Vice - Chairman of Jamaica National Money Services. Since 2008 he is also a trustee of Performances Birmingham Ltd and Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire.

Honors

During his career as a trade unionist and politician Morris has won several awards and has received honorary doctorates from the London South Bank University, The Open University, Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Westminster, Greenwich University, Teesside University, Thames Valley University, University College of Northampton, Staffordshire University, Middlesex University, University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, University of Luton, University of Technology, Jamaica, University of Nottingham and University of Hull.

Morris, who also is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the City and Guilds of London Institute, was honored in 2002 with the Order of Jamaica.