It is with the deepest regret and sadness that the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) learned about the passing away of Graham Stevenson, the former President of the ETF on International Workers’ Day at age 70.
We lost with Graham Stevenson an eminent leader who dedicated his whole life to trade unionism. We will remember his distinguished and tireless contribution to the ETF and his devotion to bettering transport workers’ lives.
Graham was instrumental in shaping the policy framework of the organisation from its foundations in 1999 at ETF’s Founding Congress as a member of the ETF Management Committee and as ETF’s Vice-President before being elected as ETF’s President in 2009. As President, he played a crucial role in strengthening the ETF.
Not only did Graham Stevenson fight for workers’ rights at European level with the ETF as President and with the ITF as European vice president in their Executive Board, he also worked as a distinguished member of the trade union movement in the UK where he worked as a full-time national organiser for Unite the union until his retirement, ten years ago.
He continued to serve causes true to his heart even after retirement, and became the Greater Midlands district secretary of the Communist Party of Britain and conveyor of the Communist History Group where he also made great strides for workers.
On behalf of the ETF Secretariat and our Federation as a whole, we extend our most sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.