Gerry Quigley: Gerry Quigley, who has died aged 75, was a former general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. He also served as president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The current INTO general secretary, John Carr, last week said that Gerry Quigley's efficiency, integrity and uncompromising principles radiated through a wide circle of trade union activities. He described him as a strong and courageous advocate of social justice and a defender of trade union rights. "He was militant in his quest for education reform, and his meticulous attention to detail, along with his superb communication skills, were legendary."
Edmond Gerard Quigley was born in Belfast on November 3rd, 1928, one of the seven children of John Joseph Quigley and his wife Margaret (née O'Connor). He grew up in the Donegall Pass area and was educated at St Mary's CBS and St Joseph's College of Education, Belfast.
He taught for four years in St Joseph's Primary School, State Street, before becoming a full-time official of the INTO in 1953. A member of the Northern Ireland committee of the ICTU (1971-77) which he also chaired for a year, he was chairman of the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (1975-77). He was elected general secretary-designate of the INTO in 1977 and took up the position in 1978, succeeding Seán Brosnahan.
In his 24 years as Northern secretary of the INTO, membership of the union grew from 1,200 to 5,400. Together with his opposite number in the Ulster Teachers' Union, Brian Toms, he established a joint central committee to ensure that both unions were at one on the issues facing them.
The two unions jointly published the Northern Teacher, originally an INTO publication, and with other unions formed the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council, "sinking our differences in order to get a common teachers' front".
A firm believer in equality, he played a major role in securing equal pay for women teachers in 1955, in ending the marriage ban in 1959, securing equal pay with teachers in England and Wales, the removal of the oath of allegiance for teachers, the ending of discrimination in appointments, and the revision of local educational structures.
He also became the first chairman of the National Democratic Party, later to be fused into the SDLP. He worked on drafting the fair employment and equal opportunities legislation introduced in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, and contributed behind the scenes to improving North-South relations.
On his election as INTO general secretary he emphasised the importance of co-operation between teachers' unions at national level. "I'm interested in setting up structures which would minimise conflicts between them, so that they could come together and hammer out a common policy."
Under his leadership of the INTO, a monthly publication for teachers was introduced, the first handbook for members was published, and the first annual education conference was held.
He led the INTO through a number of major disputes, including the age of entry dispute in 1981 and, four years later, a protracted dispute on the government's failure to honour an arbitration pay award. On a memorable day in December 1985, 40,000 teachers from the ASTI, INTO and TUI gathered under the banner of Teachers United at Croke Park and from there took to the streets of Dublin.
A tough negotiator, he was respected in government circles where it was said, "if you gave Quigley the last word in any dispute, it was the last word".
As ICTU president he called for a charter of social rights for workers and consumers to accompany the completion of the EU internal market. The aim, he said, "should be to develop a people's Europe, geared to creating full employment, improving living standards and strengthening the rights of workers and consumers". And he subsequently called for an anti-poverty plan to complement the Programme for National Recovery, highlighting in particular the need to tackle long-term unemployment.
He was educational adviser to Ulster Television (1969-77), a member of the Northern Ireland Economic Council, and a member of the Chilver Committee on Higher Education. A member of the board of Co-operation North, he was also active in Anglo-Irish Encounter. He served as a member of the National Economic and Social Council for eight years.
In 1978 an honorary MA degree was conferred on him by Queen's University, Belfast, for "services to the teaching profession and the community". In 1984 he was made a Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland in recognition of his work in promoting co-operation among teachers' unions in Europe. The National University of Ireland (Maynooth) awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1992.
He enjoyed classical music and appreciated the visual arts, particularly the work of Louis le Brocquy. He remained true to his roots by drinking the occasional Bushmills and took a keen interest in horse racing. His wife, Kathleen, sons, Ciaran, Declan, Conor and Garrett, and daughter, Paula, survive him.
Gerry Quigley: born November 3rd, 1928; died December 19th, 2003