514:, which was elected on a strong anti-union platform. The introduction of a wage freeze in 1976 and amendments to the Industrial Relations Act which changed the definition of strikes and lockouts and increased penalties against striking workers led to demands for union action. Although many unions went on strike, a serious crisis was averted. Skinner was criticised by several unions for his moderate stance, but a vote on his leadership at the FoL's 1976 conference showed he still had overwhelming support. Skinner's more moderate stance had the additional benefit that – while publicly opposed, Skinner and Muldoon (coincidentally the Member of Parliament for Skinner's old Tamaki seat) established a working relationship that allowed progress to be made on government industrial policy to both sides' benefit. Like Muldoon he had made his way by "hard work and brains. Now they lived round the street from each other in plush Tamaki. Both liked whisky and would happily conspire and connive over a weekend evening, amidst the fumes of Scotch."
487:
them to work towards compromise solutions was frequently far more effective than his opponents' calls for the widespread use of direct action. By the late 1960s, collective bargaining was a well-established part of industrial relations. Skinner's 16-year leadership of the FoL was marked by his attempts to find consensus and avoid division wherever possible — traits possibly born out of the aftermath of the 1951 dispute. By the 1970s, Skinner was seen as the voice of unionism in New
Zealand, and served on several international union forums, including a spell as a member of the body controlling the
530:
365:. After leaving school he became an apprentice plumber, and established a plumbing business after finishing his apprenticeship. An accident on a motor-cycle left him unable to continue this work, and he had several other jobs until his health enabled him to return to plumbing. It was during the course of one of these jobs, as a milkman, that Skinner was first exposed to industrial action and union politics.
59:
486:
Skinner's conciliatory style served him well during the following years, as the late 1960s saw a rise in union restlessness with a government-controlled wage-fixing system. While he lost the vote on some key union policies, his strategy of directly approaching employers and individual unions to get
332:
Sir Tom served as
President of the Auckland Trades Council from 1954 to 1976, and President of the New Zealand Federation of Labour from 1959 until 1979. Skinner was known as a conciliatory and accommodating political leader, and in the 1970s he was seen as the voice of unionism in New Zealand. He
372:
helped carry furniture in through the front door (as he had with the first state house in
Miramar, Wellington in September). This marriage was to produce one son but end in divorce. His second marriage to Mary Ethel "Molly" Yardley on 17 October 1942 resulted in a daughter and another son.
521:. Knox's style led to a sidelining of Skinner, though he retained an involvement with the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand until the 1980s. After his wife died in 1985, Skinner spent his time largely out of the public spotlight. He died on 11 November 1991 in Auckland.
321:
44:
431:
Skinner became secretary of the
Auckland branch of the New Zealand Plumbers Union in 1940, and soon became involved in other smaller unions such as the Auckland Musicians Union, and also with the New Zealand Labour Party. In
1159:
1154:
1149:
553:. Skinner was deputy chairman of the St John Ambulance Association's Auckland branch from 1958 to 1973 and chairman from 1973 to 1989. His sporting interests included yachting, cricket, and considerable involvement as a
317:
40:
475:. In 1952 he was elected vice president of the Auckland Trades Council and became president two years later, a position he retained for over 20 years. In 1959 Skinner was elected vice president of the
506:, and was its deputy chairman. A new Industrial Relations Act passed by the government was negotiated with the FOL and the Employers' Federation. The 1975 general election saw a return to power of
1119:
452:
who won the nomination for the
Ponsonby seat leaving him with the more marginal seat of Tamaki. Labour was defeated in the following election in 1949, and his seat was lost to National's
368:
Skinner married Martha May
Wangford in December 1931. In December 1937, the Skinner family became the first tenants of a state house in Coates Avenue, Ōrākei. Prime Minister
357:
in 1909, the third child and eldest son in a family of five. His father was a South
African-born plumber (also Thomas Edward Skinner); his mother was Australian-born Alice (
1144:
1124:
1134:
1139:
546:
483:
in 1963. As a leader, he was more conciliatory than his firebrand predecessor and encouraged several disaffected unions to rejoin the national body.
558:
1114:
972:
24:
1109:
638:
569:
503:
433:
338:
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139:
991:
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488:
465:
457:
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405:
334:
1035:
476:
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71:
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416:
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825:
565:
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538:
542:
573:
411:
511:
502:
government in 1972, Skinner was able to have more say, indirectly, on policy. He was instrumental in founding the
499:
423:
234:
472:
471:
Skinner returned to his union career, becoming one of the new leaders of the movement after the disastrous
1053:
382:
362:
133:
944:
437:
369:
333:
served on several international union forums, including a spell as a member of the body controlling the
20:
1099:
1094:
1028:
480:
325:
112:
48:
679:
870:
730:
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Chalk). The family moved to
Auckland when Skinner was five, and he attended Bayfield school in
1006:
987:
968:
949:
924:
905:
821:
449:
460:
but was again unsuccessful. Skinner declined a request to stand for parliament again in the
938:
329:(18 April 1909 – 11 November 1991) was a New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader.
813:
507:
1088:
1076:
683:
550:
453:
174:
554:
495:
537:
Skinner was heavily involved in many community organisations, most notably the
448:, winning the marginal seat by a slender margin. Skinner was resentful towards
1010:
735:
633:
568:
in 1970 for his contribution to the St John's
Ambulance Association. In the
354:
206:
1045:
518:
223:
124:
58:
564:
A member of the Priory of St John in New
Zealand, Skinner was made a
342:
444:, though had initially hoped to win nomination for the safe seat of
662:
660:
528:
440:
on a Labour Party ticket. In 1946 he was Labour candidate for the
583:(co-written by John Berry), was published by Whitcoulls in 1980.
1160:
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1949 New Zealand general election
1155:
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1951 New Zealand general election
1150:
New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
576:, for services to the trade union movement and the community.
517:
Skinner retired in 1979 and was replaced by the more militant
748:
746:
818:
All Honourable Men: Inside the Muldoon Cabinet, 1975–1984
1005:(4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer.
456:. He stood for the seat again at the next election in
1120:
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
921:
A Lifetime in Politics: the memoirs of Warren Freer
820:. Auckland: Auckland University Press. p. 66.
574:
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
299:
240:
230:
213:
189:
184:
168:
156:
130:
118:
106:
88:
69:
34:
549:. He was also a director of private radio station
884:
852:
840:
788:
776:
666:
598:
965:The Penguin history of New Zealand illustrated
557:referee and administrator, and he managed the
16:New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader
943:From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of
874:(2nd supplement). 1 January 1976. p. 35.
23:. For the film and television executive, see
8:
152:27 November 1946 – 30 November 1949
1003:New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984
967:. North Shore, New Zealand: Penguin Books.
1017:
57:
31:
923:. Wellington: Victoria University Press.
610:
1145:Knights of Grace of the Order of St John
1125:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates
380:
1135:New Zealand rugby league administrators
591:
800:
752:
716:
627:
625:
623:
621:
619:
337:. He was instrumental in founding the
1036:President of the Federation of Labour
704:
525:Activities outside the union movement
479:and became president on the death of
399:
396:
72:President of the Federation of Labour
25:Thomas Skinner (television executive)
7:
764:
84:20 August 1963 – 2 May 1979
731:"Political drop-out to union chief"
639:Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
547:New Zealand Institute for the Blind
504:Shipping Corporation of New Zealand
339:Shipping Corporation of New Zealand
982:Skinner, Tom; Berry, John (1980).
14:
1140:New Zealand rugby league referees
644:Ministry for Culture and Heritage
489:International Labour Organization
335:International Labour Organization
729:Haszard, Glenn (19 April 1979).
682:. Vol. LXXV, no. 136.
477:New Zealand Federation of Labour
436:he stood unsuccessfully for the
265:
1067:Member of Parliament for Tamaki
288:
261:
1001:Wilson, James Oakley (1985) .
566:Knight of the Order of St John
1:
791:, pp. 95f and elsewhere.
539:St John Ambulance Association
1115:New Zealand Labour Party MPs
986:. Christchurch: Whitcoulls.
543:Royal New Zealand Coastguard
1110:New Zealand trade unionists
900:Fraser, Bryce, ed. (1986).
561:' tour to Britain in 1960.
1176:
948:. Auckland: Reed Methuen.
904:. Auckland: Reed Methuen.
902:New Zealand book of events
541:, but also among them the
278:Mary Ethel "Molly" Yardley
18:
1073:
1064:
1059:
1052:
1042:
1033:
1025:
1020:
686:. 10 June 1944. p. 9
579:Skinner's autobiography,
415:
393:
390:
314:Sir Thomas Edward Skinner
307:
180:
145:
77:
65:
56:
634:"Skinner, Thomas Edward"
963:King, Michael (2007) .
473:1951 Waterfront dispute
1054:New Zealand Parliament
919:Freer, Warren (2004).
885:Skinner and Berry 1980
853:Skinner and Berry 1980
841:Skinner and Berry 1980
789:Skinner and Berry 1980
777:Skinner and Berry 1980
680:"Local Body Elections"
667:Skinner and Berry 1980
599:Skinner and Berry 1980
534:
384:New Zealand Parliament
134:New Zealand Parliament
1105:People from Mangaweka
945:Michael Joseph Savage
572:, he was appointed a
570:1976 New Year Honours
532:
494:With the election of
438:Auckland City Council
370:Michael Joseph Savage
194:Thomas Edward Skinner
21:Tom Skinner (drummer)
19:For the drummer, see
1130:People from Auckland
1029:Fintan Patrick Walsh
1021:Trade union offices
719:, pp. 202, 235.
481:Fintan Patrick Walsh
353:Skinner was born in
264: 1931;
113:Fintan Patrick Walsh
855:, pp. 188–190.
755:, pp. 234–235.
387:
251:Martha May Wangford
871:The London Gazette
535:
381:
1083:
1082:
1074:Succeeded by
1043:Succeeded by
974:978-0-14-300669-5
779:, pp. 105ff.
601:, pp. 22–23.
450:Ritchie Macdonald
442:Tamaki electorate
429:
428:
377:Union involvement
311:
310:
102:
97:
1167:
1061:New constituency
1026:Preceded by
1018:
1014:
997:
978:
959:
939:Gustafson, Barry
934:
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741:
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726:
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708:
707:, pp. 33–4.
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217:11 November 1991
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185:Personal details
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814:Templeton, Hugh
812:
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632:Franks, Peter.
631:
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295:
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291: 1942)
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231:Political party
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169:
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36:Sir Tom Skinner
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12:
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843:, p. 183.
833:
826:
805:
803:, p. 239.
793:
781:
769:
767:, p. 366.
757:
742:
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709:
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671:
669:, p. 184.
656:
615:
613:, p. 199.
611:Gustafson 1986
603:
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512:National Party
508:Robert Muldoon
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1077:Eric Halstead
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993:0-7233-0639-7
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911:0-474-00123-7
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739:. p. 19.
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684:Auckland Star
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551:Radio Pacific
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533:KStJ insignia
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466:1954 election
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454:Eric Halstead
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204:18 April 1909
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175:Eric Halstead
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99:James Boomer
94:James Napier
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688:. Retrieved
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649:14 September
647:. Retrieved
637:
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594:
580:
578:
563:
555:rugby league
536:
516:
493:
485:
470:
464:seat at the
430:
408:–1949
367:
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352:
331:
313:
312:
219:(1991-11-11)
170:Succeeded by
163:seat created
162:
147:
120:Succeeded by
79:
29:
1100:1991 deaths
1095:1909 births
866:"No. 46778"
801:Fraser 1986
753:Fraser 1986
717:Wilson 1985
496:Norman Kirk
397:Electorate
158:Preceded by
108:Preceded by
96:(1963-1972)
1089:Categories
1071:1946–1949
1040:1963–1979
984:Man to Man
894:References
827:186940128X
705:Freer 2004
581:Man to Man
349:Early life
341:, and was
200:1909-04-18
1011:154283103
765:King 2007
736:The Press
363:Herne Bay
355:Mangaweka
345:in 1976.
207:Mangaweka
148:In office
101:(1972-79)
80:In office
1046:Jim Knox
941:(1986).
816:(1995).
545:and the
519:Jim Knox
510:and the
446:Ponsonby
343:knighted
300:Children
224:Auckland
125:Jim Knox
462:Otahuhu
293:
285:
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270:
258:
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241:Spouses
1009:
990:
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690:10 May
500:Labour
424:Labour
417:Tamaki
400:Party
391:Years
235:Labour
140:Tamaki
587:Notes
559:Kiwis
394:Term
324:
320:
287:(
283:
260:(
256:
47:
43:
1007:OCLC
988:ISBN
969:ISBN
950:ISBN
925:ISBN
906:ISBN
822:ISBN
692:2017
651:2011
458:1951
434:1944
412:28th
406:1946
322:KStJ
266:div.
214:Died
190:Born
138:for
70:4th
45:KStJ
498:'s
359:née
318:KBE
41:KBE
1091::
868:.
745:^
733:.
659:^
642:.
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618:^
491:.
468:.
326:JP
289:m.
262:m.
49:JP
1013:.
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303:3
202:)
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27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
