Former NUMAST general secretary, John Newman
Former NUMAST general secretary John Newman has passed away.
Mr Newman, who was aged 77, worked for the Union for more than 30 years and was general secretary between 1989 and 1993. He served at sea as a purser, working on ships in P&O’s cruising and liner services between 1954 and 1961.
Mr Newman joined the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers’ Association in 1963 as administrative officer, and quickly moved into industrial work - firstly on behalf of pursers and then more generally.
He was promoted to national secretary in 1967 and in 1975 was appointed senior negotiator, with overall responsibility for national and company negotiations across all of the sectors represented by the Union.
Mr Newman was heavily involved in this period as a member of the National Maritime Board, the Merchant Navy Training Board, Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund, which he subsequently chaired from 1993 to 2000, having originally joined the Board in 1968.
He served as assistant general secretary from 1978 to 1985, and deputy general secretary from 1985 until becoming general secretary in August 1989.
During this period, he was also involved internationally with the ITF and the ILO.
When Mr Newman retired in 1993 the then incoming general secretary, Brian Orrell, paid tribute to him saying that he had ‘transformed NUMAST from an organisation managing decline into one that was positive in thought and action and rigorously pro active rather than reactive’.
The Chamber of Shipping described him as a’ doughty fighter for NUMAST members and a strong and effective negotiator who had developed links with the shipowners to fight for a Merchant Navy we would all like to see – with modern ships, well-trained British officers and, we hope, under the red ensign’.
Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson comments, ‘There is no doubt that John had a major impact on the Union and laid down solid foundations for which the organisation continued to grow.’
04/06/2009