Dave Spooner Obituary
Dan Edmonds, a friend and colleague of the late Dave Spooner and current Research Associate at the Working Class Movement Library writes about Dave's life and career.
Staff and supporters of the working class movement library were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dave Spooner last month.
Dave was a lifelong committed trade unionist and activist. He was well-known and loved by comrades in the labour movement of Greater Manchester, and was respected globally for his work in international organisations and in the global south.
Dave’s involvement in the movement stretched back over 50 years to his time at the University of Sussex. As a student activist, he was elected as Chairman of Education on an election manifesto which emphasised the democratic engagement of students alongside school pupils, workers, and residents, to determine their own educational priorities.
These principles – of participatory democracy, inclusion of underrepresented or excluded groups, and the value of political education – remained consistent throughout Dave’s life.
Dave played an active role as an organiser, educator, and researcher within and alongside many different groups. From Big Flame to WIEGO, from the IFWEA to Unite the Union, Dave made his presence felt through his commitment, capacity and charisma.
A committed internationalist, Dave was well-known for his work supporting trade unions, workers education organisations and labour NGOs to build capacity in the Global South and for his work with Global Union Federations.https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/dave-spooner
He established the Global Labour Institute in Manchester and was immensely proud of his achievements in bringing trade union activists from across the world together in International summer schools to discuss what are, and what should be the politics of the international trade union movement. https://www.gli-manchester.net/summer-school
Dave was an advocate of expanding the boundaries of our movement and believed in the power of inclusive trade unionism. His international work included research and education programmes with workers in the informal economy. Bridging the gap between organisations of informal workers’ and official trade union structures became a particular passion of his, and much of his work in the latter decades of his life attests to this ideal. https://www.gli-manchester.net/informal-work
Dave was also passionate about the importance of the history of our movement. He believed that trade unionists and labour activists could gain pride, and political inspiration for action through reflection on the diverse ways that workers have organised historically. He actively promoted labour history as part of trade union education programmes, and was central in launching the GLI History Project.
Dave was immensely proud to have donated his collection of notebooks, reports and ephemera to the Working Class Movement Library and contribute his oral history as part of the library’s National Lottery project to explore the history of Big Flame of which Dave was a member. Over the next few months, he WCML team will catalogue Dave’s archive and make it available to the public. As a man who loved labour history, Dave requested that donations in his memory be made to the WCML to expand its educational activities with young workers and activists.
Dave’s politics were ultimately born of empathy and a desire to encourage, include, and support people. If you were lucky enough to have a drink with him you would soon have an advocate on your side, and most likely a deeper appreciation of craft ales. He was truly an unforgettable force.
Rest in Power, comrade. You earned your place in the history books and in the hearts of the people who knew you.