Ken Douglas

Kenneth George Douglas (15 November 1935 – 14 September 2022) was a New Zealand trade union leader.

Early life Douglas was born in Wellington in 1935. His parents were Marjorie "Maj" Alice ( Farrow) and John Atholwood "Atty" Douglas. He was baptised a Catholic, and his family also included a younger sister, Terree. When Douglas was six, Maj left the family and he and Terree went to be raised by Atty's parents. He negotiated on behalf of workers with companies for those workers' pay and rights. In this role, many unions asked him to negotiate with employers on their behalf. In 1980 Muldoon expelled the Soviet ambassador to New Zealand for allegedly providing funds to the Socialist Unity Party.

The Socialist Unity Party split in 1991. Party president Bill Andersen fell out with Douglas over tactics and left to form the Socialist Party of Aotearoa. Both parties subsequently disappeared. and Healthcare NZ. He was elected to the Capital and Coast District Health Board, sitting from 2001 to 2010, and was its chair. He was the president of the Titahi Bay Golf Club, and champion golfer Michael Campbell described Douglas as a mentor. He was awarded an honorary degree Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson paid tribute to Douglas, saying that "he never wavered from his support of working people and commitment to their rights and successes". Acting Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Priyanca Radhakrishnan said many advancements in worker rights could be traced back to Douglas' leadership.