TRIBUTE TO DAVID EVANS – POA GENERAL SECRETARY 1981-2000

A giant of a trade unionist, a respected, compassionate, knowledgeable man, and a friend

It was an extremely sad day when the news was broken to me of the passing of David Evans, former General Secretary, after a short illness. I know that many new members may have heard the name, but didn’t know the man. I dedicate this article to David, a man of integrity who will be remembered fondly for his dedication not just to the POA, but also to the trade union movement in general. He was a giant in the movement and highly respected by politicians of all parties from his era, as well as other trade unionists.

I have written many articles for Gatelodge as the current General Secretary, but this one makes me very proud, as David was not just a POA national official to me – he was a man whom I considered a friend and someone I could turn to if ever I needed advice or just a friendly ear. He once said to me that the position of General Secretary can be a lonely one, but also very fulfilling, and I understood perfectly what he meant.

Even after retirement, David remained very active and was chair of the Welfare Committee, so I met him every month and we always put time aside for a half-hour discussion that was just between us – and, of course, what we discussed was private and shall always remain private. David was that friendly ear over many years, and I will treasure those moments.

MEETING DAVID EVANS

I first met David Evans in 1992, when I was a young branch official at HMP Chelmsford and he came on a branch visit. I always remember how composed he seemed, and he captured the branch meeting because, when he spoke, people listened. A man full of knowledge and experience, because before he became General Secretary, he was an Assistant General Secretary and had served at HMP Swansea and HMP Pentonville. A very wise and intelligent man who dedicated his life to the POA. My impression of David as a young official was that this man was the backbone of the POA, and he spoke with a calmness and wisdom that I hadn’t experienced before. I also remember David at POA Annual Conference – again, the calmness and professionalism was obvious to see. David was not a table thumper (nothing really wrong with that for those who are), but he commanded respect and had an aura about him, so he didn’t need to table thump. Even now, politicians and trade union movement officials ask about David, and they were all saddened when he died. He was highly respected. I am so pleased that, when we filmed the history of the POA, David played a prominent part. I urge POA members of all ages to view that film and see first hand the professional way in which David conducted himself.

WELFARE FUND

In 2003, the Welfare Fund came to fruition and David played a significant part. He was on the committee as an Honorary Life Member and retired member, from its inception in 2003 until he died. He chaired the meetings with humour, passion and integrity. He listened carefully to everyone on the committee and many of our members benefited from the welfare decisions that we, as a committee, came to. He was a very compassionate man, who cared immensely about POA members and their welfare. Along with the rest of the committee, he guarded the welfare fund and grew it to what it is now, and that is something of which to be very proud. David told me privately, in a discussion that we had last year, that we should be preparing the ground for his successor, and that is exactly what we did. We also planned for investment into the POA Welfare Fund, and David played an active part in that in the many meetings we had with advisers.

GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

David Evans was a true friend to me, and I always knew that, if I needed him, I could rely on his sound advice. In many ways, David will always be a part of the POA; we still remember him with the David Evans Award at conference. So, although he has gone, he will never be forgotten, because the history of the POA will never let us forget this giant of a trade unionist.

David, rest in peace my good friend, and the POA will always be there for your family if they ever need us.

 

STEVE GILLAN
GENERAL SECRETARY