Age, Biography and Wiki

Tom Skinner (Thomas Edward Skinner) was born on 18 April, 1909 in Mangaweka, New Zealand, is a New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader. Discover Tom Skinner'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 82 years old?

Popular As Thomas Edward Skinner
Occupation N/A
Age 82 years old
Zodiac Sign Aries
Born 18 April, 1909
Birthday 18 April
Birthplace Mangaweka, New Zealand
Date of death 11 November, 1991
Died Place Auckland, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealand

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 18 April. He is a member of famous politician with the age 82 years old group.

Tom Skinner Height, Weight & Measurements

At 82 years old, Tom Skinner height not available right now. We will update Tom Skinner'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
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Who Is Tom Skinner's Wife?

His wife is Martha May Wangford (m. 1931-1942) Mary Ethel "Molly" Yardley (m. 1942)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Martha May Wangford (m. 1931-1942) Mary Ethel "Molly" Yardley (m. 1942)
Sibling Not Available
Children 3

Tom Skinner Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Tom Skinner worth at the age of 82 years old? Tom Skinner’s income source is mostly from being a successful politician. He is from New Zealand. We have estimated Tom Skinner'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 politician

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Timeline

1909

Sir Thomas Edward Skinner (18 April 1909 – 11 November 1991) was a New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader.

Skinner was born in Mangaweka in 1909, the third child and eldest son in a family of five.

His father was a South African-born plumber (also Thomas Edward Skinner); his mother was Australian-born Alice (née Chalk).

The family moved to Auckland when Skinner was five, and he attended Bayfield school in Herne Bay.

After leaving school he became an apprentice plumber, and established a plumbing business after finishing his apprenticeship.

An accident on a motor-cycle left him unable to continue this work, and he had several other jobs until his health enabled him to return to plumbing.

It was during the course of one of these jobs, as a milkman, that Skinner was first exposed to industrial action and union politics.

1931

Skinner married Martha May Wangford in December 1931.

1937

In December 1937, the Skinner family became the first tenants of a state house in Coates Avenue, Ōrākei.

Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage helped carry furniture in through the front door (as he had with the first state house in Miramar, Wellington in September).

This marriage was to produce one son but end in divorce.

1940

Skinner became secretary of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Plumbers Union in 1940, and soon became involved in other smaller unions such as the Auckland Musicians Union, and also with the New Zealand Labour Party.

1942

His second marriage to Mary Ethel "Molly" Yardley on 17 October 1942 resulted in a daughter and another son.

1944

In 1944 he stood unsuccessfully for the Auckland City Council on a Labour Party ticket.

1946

In 1946 he was Labour candidate for the Tamaki electorate, though had initially hoped to win nomination for the safe seat of, winning the marginal seat by a slender margin.

Skinner was resentful towards Ritchie Macdonald who won the nomination for the Ponsonby seat leaving him with the more marginal seat of Tamaki.

1949

Labour was defeated in the following election in 1949, and his seat was lost to National's Eric Halstead.

He stood for the seat again at the next election in but was again unsuccessful.

Skinner declined a request to stand for parliament again in the seat at the.

1951

Skinner returned to his union career, becoming one of the new leaders of the movement after the disastrous 1951 Waterfront dispute.

Skinner's 16-year leadership of the FoL was marked by his attempts to find consensus and avoid division wherever possible — traits possibly born out of the aftermath of the 1951 dispute.

1952

In 1952 he was elected vice president of the Auckland Trades Council and became president two years later, a position he retained for over 20 years.

1954

Sir Tom served as President of the Auckland Trades Council from 1954 to 1976, and President of the New Zealand Federation of Labour from 1959 until 1979.

1959

In 1959 Skinner was elected vice president of the New Zealand Federation of Labour and became president on the death of Fintan Patrick Walsh in 1963.

As a leader, he was more conciliatory than his firebrand predecessor and encouraged several disaffected unions to rejoin the national body.

1960

Skinner's conciliatory style served him well during the following years, as the late 1960s saw a rise in union restlessness with a government-controlled wage-fixing system.

While he lost the vote on some key union policies, his strategy of directly approaching employers and individual unions to get them to work towards compromise solutions was frequently far more effective than his opponents' calls for the widespread use of direct action.

By the late 1960s, collective bargaining was a well-established part of industrial relations.

1970

Skinner was known as a conciliatory and accommodating political leader, and in the 1970s he was seen as the voice of unionism in New Zealand.

He served on several international union forums, including a spell as a member of the body controlling the International Labour Organization.

By the 1970s, Skinner was seen as the voice of unionism in New Zealand, and served on several international union forums, including a spell as a member of the body controlling the International Labour Organization.

1972

With the election of Norman Kirk's Labour government in 1972, Skinner was able to have more say, indirectly, on policy.

He was instrumental in founding the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand, and was its deputy chairman.

A new Industrial Relations Act passed by the government was negotiated with the FOL and the Employers' Federation.

1975

The 1975 general election saw a return to power of Robert Muldoon and the National Party, which was elected on a strong anti-union platform.

1976

He was instrumental in founding the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand, and was knighted in 1976.

The introduction of a wage freeze in 1976 and amendments to the Industrial Relations Act which changed the definition of strikes and lockouts and increased penalties against striking workers led to demands for union action.

Although many unions went on strike, a serious crisis was averted.

Skinner was criticised by several unions for his moderate stance, but a vote on his leadership at the FoL's 1976 conference showed he still had overwhelming support.

Skinner's more moderate stance had the additional benefit that – while publicly opposed, Skinner and Muldoon (coincidentally the Member of Parliament for Skinner's old Tamaki seat) established a working relationship that allowed progress to be made on government industrial policy to both sides' benefit.