Age, Biography and Wiki

Ken Douglas (Kenneth George Douglas) was born on 15 November, 1935 in Wellington, New Zealand, is a New Zealand trade unionist (1935–2022). Discover Ken Douglas's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 86 years old?

Popular As Kenneth George Douglas
Occupation N/A
Age 86 years old
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Born 15 November, 1935
Birthday 15 November
Birthplace Wellington, New Zealand
Date of death 14 September, 2022
Died Place Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealand

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 15 November. He is a member of famous with the age 86 years old group.

Ken Douglas Height, Weight & Measurements

At 86 years old, Ken Douglas height not available right now. We will update Ken Douglas's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Who Is Ken Douglas's Wife?

His wife is Lesley Winter (m. 1956-1986)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Lesley Winter (m. 1956-1986)
Sibling Not Available
Children 4

Ken Douglas Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Ken Douglas worth at the age of 86 years old? Ken Douglas’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from New Zealand. We have estimated Ken Douglas's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income

Ken Douglas Social Network

Instagram
Linkedin
Twitter
Facebook
Wikipedia
Imdb

Timeline

1935

Kenneth George Douglas (15 November 1935 – 14 September 2022) was a New Zealand trade union leader.

Douglas was born in Wellington in 1935.

His parents were Marjorie "Maj" Alice ( Farrow) and John Atholwood "Atty" Douglas.

He was baptised a Catholic, and his family also 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.

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

His early jobs included a woolclasser and wharf worker, before becoming a truck driver.

1956

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

1960

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

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

1963

When the Communist Party split in two in 1963, he went with the Socialist Unity Party which followed Soviet communism, as opposed to the remaining Communist Party which followed Chinese communism.

1964

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

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

1970

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

Douglas supported and defended Stalin's regime.

However, Russel Hunter, a general manager of NZ Freighters, said of Douglas as a union representative, "regardless of his political interests... he talked you about the case that was on the table... and got the best for his people".

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.

Prime Minister Robert Muldoon regularly railed against what he saw as the dangerous influence of communists and trade unions, and there were public marches against these groups.

Muldoon saw Douglas as a malign influence in the union movement and often sought to discredit him as a Soviet puppet.

1979

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

In this role, many unions asked him to negotiate with employers on their behalf.

1980

In 1980 Muldoon expelled the Soviet ambassador to New Zealand for allegedly providing funds to the Socialist Unity Party.

1986

They divorced in 1986.

1988

In 1988, Know retired and Douglas became president.

In 1988, following the effects of economic reforms known as Rogernomics, the three branches of the trade union movement amalgamated into one organisation, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.

Douglas was its first president.

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

Many trade unionists felt that this signalled he had sold out to business interests.

1991

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

1999

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

He also 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.

Early in his career, Douglas was anti-communist.

2000

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

After starting work as a truck driver, his father who was also a truck driver insisted Douglas attend a meeting of the Wellington Drivers' Union.

In about a year, he was on its executive, and when we was 23 he was elected its president, the youngest president of any trade union in New Zealand history.

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

In an interview in the 2000s, Douglas said of Muldoon, "while he had this public persona of being antagonistic, whenever we met he was very polite and he gave me the respect my position as secretary of the Federation of Labour deserved."

Because of his political beliefs, Douglas's wife and children received abusive phone calls and death threats.

According to Douglas, the Young Nats set up a group to phone his house every half hour every weekend to abuse whoever answered.

Douglas stood for parliament in the safe Labour seat of in the, and , receiving 68, 46 and 70 votes respectively.