Obituary – Steve Mann CWU Health & Safety Officer

Union Matters, Health & Safety January 12 2024

Steve Mann trade unionist, safety campaigner and Labour politician died 28 December 2023, age 74

Dave Joyce, CWU’s National Health, Safety and Environment Officer, pays tribute to one of the Union’s most respected and loved National, Regional, and Local trade unionists’ and campaigner for workplace health and safety:

It was with great sadness that I learned of the recent death of Steve Mann, a tireless campaigner for the health and safety of workers.

Our deepest condolences go out to his loved ones, his wife Jennifer, son Kevin, daughter Clare and grandchildren and all those friends and former colleagues who knew and respected him, of which there were many.

Steve passed away in the early hours of Thursday 28 December 2023 in St Joseph’s Hospice, London following a short illness. He was surrounded by his family.

Steve was a trade union activist and health and safety representative for many years, a Labour Councillor, Deputy Mayor and Lord Mayor of Haringey, and more recently joint Chair of Studio 306 Collective, a Mental Health Social Enterprise in Haringey with his wife Jennifer. He was a supporter of the Hazards Campaign, the UK Work-Stress Network and the TUC and CWU Ban Asbestos campaign.

Working life for Steve began at age 15 when he joined the Royal Navy in the early 60’s. He was soon fighting the cause of workers, campaigning for the rights of young servicemen. Life as a serviceman however ended in 1970 when his anti-war stance saw him discharged as a conscientious objector for opposing UK Government’s support for the Vietnam War.

His first experience with Trade Unionism began in his next job working as a chef at LSE. In the short time he was there Steve discovered there was no trade union so he organised the workforce into the T&GWU and was elected as shop steward, leaving the LSE workers in a stronger position on his departure.

In October 1970 Steve joined what was the General Post Office (GPO) as a Royal Mail Postman at Muswell Hill Delivery Office and joined the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW), later to be renamed the Union of Communication Workers (UCW) and he also worked at Mount Pleasant Mail Centre as a Postal Worker. He became a UPW(UCW) assistant branch secretary and annual conference delegate before taking part in the historic 1971 strike. On 20 January 1971 members of the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) went on strike over pay. This was the first national postal strike in Great Britain.

The strike continued until 8 March 1971, making the 7 week strike the longest strike since the General Strike of 1926. At the time a Postman earned £16 a week take home pay for a 43 hour, 6 day week. Telephonists were paid £10.75p for a 41 hour, 6 day week and Post Office Counter Clerks earned £14.50p take home pay for a 42 hour, 6 day week.

Steve was very active during the strike, organising weekly marches of postal workers from Muswell Hill Delivery Office to the main Northern District Office Mail Centre where they were joined by more workers before marching on to Hyde Park for Union rallies. The strike was estimated to have cost the Post Office £4 million (the equivalent of £68 Million today) and resulted in the loss of over 5 million working days. The final outcome resulted in a 9% pay increase.

Steve’s next move was an internal transfer to Post Office Telephones (which in 1981 became British Telecom following the PO/BT split and privatisation) where he trained to become a Telecommunication Engineer in 1974.

Having previously been a UPW (UCW) Official, Steve soon made the unique achievement when in 1974 he became a Post Office Engineering Union (POEU) Official. The POEU later became the National Communications Union (NCU). In the POEU/NCU North London Internal Branch, Steve held various positions including branch secretary, assistant branch secretary, branch editor, branch safety rep and safety officer plus conference delegate.

He also went on to hold area/district secretary and London regional secretary positions before being elected to the NEC of NCU in 1992 and became chair of the NCU national health and safety committee.

Steve attended every Union conference during his career from 1977 until his retirement in 2020.

The UCW and NCU merged to form the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in 1995 and in March 2000 Steve was appointed as CWU T&FS Health and Safety Officer/Policy Assistant in the CWU HQ Health, Safety and Environment Department until his retirement in March 2020 after twenty years’ service at CWU HQ.

Steve had long been an active Labour party member, joining the party in 1993 in Haringey, north London, where he served as Labour Councillor in Wood Green from 2014 to 2018. He was Deputy Mayor of Haringey 2016-17 and served as Mayor of Haringey 2017-18.

As a trade unionist, safety representative and officer he fought for a safer, better communications industry.

A quiet and thoughtful man he was one of the first trade union Safety Representatives following the 1977 Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations coming into force in 1978 and shortly thereafter trained to become a tutor on Safety Reps training courses, assisting the Union to increase Safety Reps numbers and grow it into a force to be respected and reckoned with.

Steve was an inspiration. He encouraged everyone he met to share his vision, of a safer communications industry and a world that sustains our quality of life.

For his service Steve Mann was awarded the Union’s Gold Badge and more recently National Life Honorary Membership.

Additionally, Steve was author of the book “Sadism, Songs and Lost Liberty” which was Steve Mann’s memoirs of his youth in the Royal Navy, his anti-war stance, involvement in politics and trade union activity. The book has received some good reviews, reporting it as a compelling and enjoyable read and an engaging piece of working class autobiography and his life-long support of Arsenal FC.

Steve is survived by his wife Jennifer, a son Kevin, daughter Clare and grandchildren.

Steve and I worked together on many high profile, progressive and successful health and safety campaigns over the years – and from this work came a record to be proud of.

Steve Mann trade unionist, safety campaigner and Labour politician died 28 December 2023, age 74.

The funeral arrangements have been confirmed as follows:

There will be a requiem mass for Steve on:

Monday 15th January 2024 at 10:30 am at St Peter in Chains Church, Stroud Green, 12 Womersley Road London N8 9AE

Those attending are asked to wear dark colours with an optional splash of red (for Arsenal FC).

Following the requiem Mass Steve’s burial will be a private family burial.

There will be a Wake/reception for those attending the funeral Mass following the private burial at:

1pm in The Three Compasses Public House 62 Hornsey High Street, London N8 7NX

There are plenty of coffee shops and pubs close by if people have spare time between events.

The family asks that people donate to the charities Steve supported instead of sending flowers – These are:

Mind Haringey, Studio 306, as well as St. Joseph’s Hospice where he spent his final days. Donations can be made on-line via his tribute page the family have set up:

https://stephen-mann-1949-2023.muchloved.com/

The family would like people who knew Steve to upload any pictures or videos of him to the Tribute Website.

Condolences cards and messages from friends, colleagues and acquaintances old and new can be sent by post to the Mann family at 28 Clovelly Road, London N8 7RH.