28 Facts About Ken Douglas

Kenneth George Douglas was a New Zealand trade union leader.

Ken Douglas's parents were Marjorie "Maj" Alice and John Atholwood "Atty" Douglas.

Ken Douglas was baptised a Catholic, and his family included a younger sister, Terree.

When Douglas was six, Maj left the family and he and Terree went to be raised by Atty's parents.

Ken Douglas received his education at Cashmere Primary School, Northland School, and Wellington College.

Ken Douglas married Lesley Winter in 1956, and they had four children.

Ken Douglas said in a 2000s interview that he was "wasn't a particularly faithful husband on a couple of occasions" which he regretted.

Ken Douglas negotiated on behalf of workers with companies for those workers' pay and rights.

Ken Douglas was the secretary of the Federation of Labour from 1979 to 1988, serving with president Jim Knox.

Ken Douglas proposed a compact with the government whereby wage increases were limited to two percent plus further increases linked to productivity.

Ken Douglas was blamed by many for not leading a general strike against the Employment Contracts Act 1991, which gutted the power of the trade union movement.

Ken Douglas held the CTU presidency until he retired from the role in 1999.

Ken Douglas played a prominent role in the global union movement with roles as president of both the Asia-Pacific Regional Organisation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the International Centre for Trade Union Rights.

Ken Douglas was influenced by communists in the labour movement, and joined the Communist Party in 1960.

Ken Douglas said that the decision to join came from the 1960 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa for which Maori players were banned from playing.

Ken Douglas travelled to Hong Kong, Japan, and China in 1964, meeting Chairman Mao and learning about communist China.

Ken Douglas was a Marxist, and faced constant accusations that he was a militant communist seeking to overthrow the country.

Ken Douglas continued to visit various communist countries, being invited to the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Cuba, through the 1970s and 1980s.

Ken Douglas was one of the few publicly declared members of the Socialist Unity Party in the 1970s and 1980s, and was at the forefront of publicly defending the party.

Ken Douglas stood for parliament in the safe Labour seat of Porirua in the 1972 election, 1975 election and 1978 election, receiving 68,46 and 70 votes respectively.

Ken Douglas was first appointed to a board in 1987, when trade minister Mike Moore appointed him to the Market Development Board.

Ken Douglas served on boards of Air New Zealand, NZ Post, Positively Wellington, NZ Trade and Enterprise, New Zealand Rugby Union and Healthcare NZ.

Ken Douglas was elected to the Capital and Coast District Health Board, sitting from 2001 to 2010, and was its chair.

Ken Douglas was the president of the Titahi Bay Golf Club, and champion golfer Michael Campbell described Douglas as a mentor.

Ken Douglas was a Porirua Licensing trustee from 2001 to 2007.

Ken Douglas was elected as a Porirua City councillor in 1998 and served six terms.

Ken Douglas was awarded an honorary degree by Victoria University of Wellington in 1999.

Ken Douglas died in Wellington on 14 September 2022, aged 86 years.