Joseph Hallsworth

Sir Joseph Hallsworth (2 December 1884 – 19 July 1974) was a British trade union leader.

Biography Born in Audenshaw, near Manchester, Hallsworth began working in 1902 as a clerk for the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees. He soon became the union's assistant secretary, and also became active in the Labour Party, standing unsuccessfully for Stretford at the 1918 general election. He became the union's secretary in 1916, then when this merged to form the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), he was appointed Secretary-General of the new organisation.

In 1926, Hallsworth was first elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and he served as President of the TUC in 1939. He served on a large number of bodies, including the International Labour Organization and the Central Price Regulation Committee during World War II, and as President of the International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, and Technical Employees. and stood down from various government committees in 1947, although he joined the National Coal Board. On retirement, he served as Chairman of the North Western Electricity Board, standing down in 1955.