Helen Kelly (trade unionist)
| Helen Kelly | |
|---|---|
Kelly in 2011
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| Born |
19 September 1964 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 14 October 2016 (aged 52) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Occupation | Trade unionist |
| Years active | 2007–2016 |
| Employer | Council of Trade Unions |
| Partner(s) | Steve Hurring |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) |
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Helen Kelly (19 September 1964 – 14 October 2016) was President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions from 2007 to 2015.
Kelly was born in Wellington on 19 September 1964 to Pat and Cath Kelly, both strong social activists – Pat was a well-known unionist and Cath was active in the anti-Vietnam war movement – who met while selling a communist newspaper, People's Voice.
She said of her childhood:
"I was brought up on unions. Mum would wake us by singing, "Wake up darlings from your slumbers". I used to play at going to meetings, rather than dress-up dolls. Our home was union central. We always had visitors who were discussing union business."
Kelly attended Wellington High School. In 1983 she enrolled in a Diploma in Teaching at Wellington Teachers College and was elected President of the Association of Wellington Teachers College Trainees (AWTCT) the following year. She later studied law and education at Victoria University of Wellington.
Kelly started her career as a primary school teacher, enjoying working for three years at Johnsonville Main School. She was appointed a union delegate on her first day teaching and quickly became more involved in union affairs. She held senior positions with both the New Zealand Institute of Education and the Association of University Staff (now the New Zealand Tertiary Education Union). She was the youngest person appointed as a general secretary of the AUS, a position she held for five years until her election as CTU President in 2007.
Kelly was an outspoken advocate for better safety standards in the New Zealand forestry industry. As a result of her campaigning, a review into the industry was launched and some operators were forcibly closed. In one case, the government refused to press charges against the employer, so Kelly led a private prosecution against the company. The number of deaths due to forestry-related accidents subsequently fell, from 10 deaths in 2013 to 1 in 2014 and 3 in 2015.
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