Rex Jones

Rex Jones
27th President of the Labour Party
In office 9 November 1987 – 3 September 1988
Vice President	Ruth Dyson
Preceded by	Margaret Wilson
Succeeded by	Ruth Dyson
Personal details
Born	1951 (age 72–73) Auckland, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Occupation	Trade unionist

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.^[1]

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.^[2] He was succeeded by the assistant national secretary Andrew Little.^[3]

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.^[4] Little, his successor as EPMU National Secretary, would likewise become Labour Party President.^[5]

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."^[6] 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.^[7]

References

1. "Only employer pays into new super scheme". The Press. Vol. CXII, no. 32840. 14 February 1972. p. 2.
2. "Retiring union boss slams negative talk". The Evening Post. 27 July 2000. p. 9.
3. Warrander, Rochelle (17 April 2000). "Little has a lot to do now as new national secretary-elect". Taranaki Daily News. p. 2.
4. "Labour Now Under New Management". Auckland Star. 4 September 1988. p. A8.
5. "Little takes union path to leadership". Radio NZ. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
6. "NZ Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union Biennial Conference". New Zealand Government. 28 July 2000. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
7. "Appointment praised". Waikato Times. 27 September 2000. p. 2.

Party political offices
Preceded by Margaret Wilson	President of the Labour Party 1987–1988	Succeeded by Ruth Dyson
Trade union offices
Preceded by Ernie Ball	National Secretary of the EPMU 1984–2000	Succeeded by Andrew Little