Union boss dies after battle with illness
THE former general secretary of the USDAW union Lord Garfield Davies of Coity CBE passed away this week following a long battle with illness, aged 83.
Lord Davies, who lived in Bramhall for 40 years, dedicated his life to supporting workers in the retail sector in South Wales, East Anglia and nationally. He died at his Dairyground Road home, on Monday, March 4, surrounded by his loving family.
He had been forced to wait years before finally receiving a devastating diagnosis of the progressive neurological condition PSP in September 2017.
Garfield joined the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers in 1969 and worked his way up the ranks of the union and into the House of Lords.
The son of a miner, he was born in South Wales in 1935 and joined the British Steel Corporation in Port Talbot in 1950 where he served his apprenticeship and later worked as an electrician until landing a job with USDAW in East Anglia.
He was subsequently promoted to Deputy Divisional Officer and in 1978 was appointed National Officer with responsibilities for the milk industry and the retail cooperatives.
In 1985 he was elected the General Secretary, before being re-elected in 1991 and 1993. In his time he became a member of the TUC General Council and was also TUC international spokesperson.
He was also president of Euro-Fiet (the Commercial Workers’ International) and in 1996 was awarded the CBE for services to industrial relations. He retired from the union in June 1997 and took his seat in the House of Lords on October 1 that year, taking an ill health leave of absence in February 2018.
He campaigned against apartheid in South Africa and met Nelson Mandela.
He leaves Marian, Lady Davies, his loving and devoted wife of 59 years, four daughters - Helen, Susan, Karen and Rachel, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
His family said Garfield would wish for his death to bring increased awareness of PSP. As in life he is continuing to campaign for others and to this end has donated his brain for medical research.
Family friend Patricia Williams said he was a devoted family man, who had worked tirelessly for others. She said: “The reason Garfield lasted so long was because of the love and TLC of his family. The need to have his family in his life was just as important as his career path.”