The new ITF Co-ordinator for Britain and Ireland Ken Fleming is a Dubliner, born and bred, from a strong trade union background. His father Jack was President of the Dublin Bus Branch of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, became Number One Executive Driver with Bus Eireann and drove the Apollo 8 Astronauts when they visited Ireland as part of President Kennedy’s entourage in 1963.
Ken started work as a conductor with CIE straight after school. He became a senior shop steward in 1979, Vice President of the Dublin Bus Branch of the ITGWU in 1981 and President in 1985.
In 1991, he became a full time Assistant Branch Secretary in SIPTU which was formed from an amalgamation of the ITGWU with the Federated Workers Union of Ireland. He became Secretary of the Branch in 1994. Ken was on secondment to the Construction Industry Monitoring Agency from 1999 to 2001 where he campaigned against the black economy in the building trade.
In 2001, he became SIPTU Branch Secretary in Wicklow and then Secretary of the Clinical and Health Care Services Branch from later that year until 2006, when he was seconded to the International Transport Workers Federation to replace the late Tony Ayton. Ken not only campaigned effectively against exploitative employers in the industry but significantly heightened public awareness of the problems seafarers and their union representatives faced.
At the beginning of this year he was appointed ITF Co-Ordinator for Britain and Ireland.
“I am absolutely delighted and honoured to take on this wider role”, he said. “I believe we can make the ITF even more effective on these islands, enthuse our team and establish a presence in every port that will make the shipping industry realise there will be serious consequences for any employer who does not comply with decent standards and working conditions both at sea and in port.
“I realise that this can only be done by ITF inspectors working as a team and by constant monitoring to ensure we are delivering the best service possible to our members, who are among the most exploited workers in any sector internationally,” he said.
Ken is married to Adrienne and they have two daughters, Ashleigh and Stephanie. His other great passion is for motor bikes. He was back to back Irish champion in the 350cc class, 1980-1981. He is Vice Chair and Southern Irish representative of the Forgotten Era Motorcycle Club and a regular road racer.