Rex Jones
{{Short description|New Zealand trade unionist}}
{{about||the American politician|Rex Kenton Jones}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox MP
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Rex Jones
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| office1 = 27th President of the Labour Party
| leader1 =
| term_start1 = 9 November 1987
| term_end1 = 3 September 1988
| vicepresident1 = Ruth Dyson
| predecessor1 = Margaret Wilson
| successor1 = Ruth Dyson
| office2 =
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}}
| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand
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| party = Labour
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| occupation = Trade unionist
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Rex Elliott Jones (born 1951) is a New Zealand trade unionist.
Biography
Jones was born in 1951 to Kieth Elliott and Gwendoline Sylvia Jones. He lived in Papatoetoe, Auckland and became a union delegate in 1969. In 1972, as secretary of the Labourers' Union, he negotiated for eight months to establish a superannuation scheme for pottery industry employees, under which only employers made contributions, which was hailed as a major advance in the industrial relations field.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19720214.2.17 |title=Only employer pays into new super scheme |work=The Press |date=14 February 1972 |volume=CXII |issue=32840 |page=2 }}
In 1984 was the National Secretary of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), a position he held for 16 years. Also a member of the Federation of Labour and Council of Trade Union Executives. Jones labelled his time as National Secretary as "turbulent". He headed the union through the Rogernomics policies of market liberalisation which caused severe workplace displacements from 1984 to 1990 and then the Bolger-Birch years of the Employment Contracts Act, 1991 which saw drastic reductions in union membership.{{cite news |title=Retiring union boss slams negative talk |date=27 July 2000 |work=The Evening Post |page=9 }} He was succeeded by the assistant national secretary Andrew Little.{{cite news |last=Warrander |first=Rochelle |title=Little has a lot to do now as new national secretary-elect |date=17 April 2000 |work=Taranaki Daily News |page=2 }}
As the EPMU was an affiliated union to the New Zealand Labour Party he was also involved with the party. He was President of the Labour Party from 1987 until 1988 when he declined to stand for re-election.{{cite news |title=Labour Now Under New Management |date=4 September 1988 |work=Auckland Star |page=A8 }} Little, his successor as EPMU National Secretary, would likewise become Labour Party President.{{cite web |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/259657/little-takes-union-path-to-leadership |access-date=26 September 2017 |title=Little takes union path to leadership |date=18 November 2014 |publisher=Radio NZ }}
At his retirement from the role Margaret Wilson, the Minister of Labour stated that "...Jones has made an outstanding contribution to unionism, to the Labour Movement and to industry in New Zealand."{{cite web |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/nz-engineering-printing-manufacturing-union-biennial-conference |title=NZ Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union Biennial Conference |date=28 July 2000 |website=New Zealand Government |access-date=26 June 2021 }} After leaving the EPMU Jones was appointed as a representatives member to Industry New Zealand, a group established by the government to consider projects and activities for government assistance.{{cite news |title=Appointment praised |date=27 September 2000 |work=Waikato Times |page=2 }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Margaret Wilson}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the Labour Party|years=1987–1988}}
{{s-aft|after=Ruth Dyson}}
{{s-npo|union}}
{{s-bef|before=Ernie Ball}}
{{s-ttl|title=National Secretary of the EPMU|years=1984–2000}}
{{s-aft|after=Andrew Little}}
{{end}}
{{NZ Labour Party}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Rex}}