Joseph O'Hagan (18 March 1900 – 22 December 1978), often known as Joe O'Hagan, was a British trade union leader.

Born in Workington, O'Hagan started work at the age of fourteen for the United Steel Companies,[1] and immediately joined the National Federation of Blastfurnacemen, Ore Miners and Kindred Trades (NUB).[1][2] He was successful, becoming a blastfurnace keeper before he took up full-time union work in 1939.[3]

O'Hagan took on a succession of roles in the union, becoming General President in 1948,[2] and then, in 1953, General Secretary,[2] serving until his retirement in 1968.[1] In 1958, he was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire.[2]

O'Hagan served on the Iron and Steel Industrial Training Board and the National Safety Committee, and was a delegate to the International Labour Conference.[2] He was also elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in 1954,[1] and served as the President of the TUC in 1966.[4]

After leaving his union duties, O'Hagan served as a director of British Steel Corporation's General Steels section until his final retirement in 1971.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d AEU Monthly Journal (March 1969), pp.7-8
  2. ^ a b c d e 6th Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress, p.58
  3. ^ The British Steelmaker, Vol.37, p.24
  4. ^ "Details of Past Congresses Archived 2012-09-30 at the Wayback Machine", Trades Union Congress
  5. ^ Metal Construction and British Welding Journal, Vol.3, No.2, p.296
Trade union offices
Preceded by
Harry France
General President of the National Union of Blastfurnacemen
1948–1953
Succeeded by
Preceded by General Secretary of the National Union of Blastfurnacemen
1953–1968
Succeeded by
James Barry
Preceded by Iron, Steel and Minor Metal Trades representative on the General Council of the TUC
1953 – 1966
With: Harry Douglass
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Trades Union Congress
1966
Succeeded by
Preceded by Trades Union Congress representative to the AFL-CIO
1959
With: Wilfred Beard
Succeeded by