John Flavin was once born in eire in Ballylongford, County Kerry, in 1944. He was once a member of the Kerry minor crew that received the All-Ireland soccer ultimate in 1962. the subsequent yr he emigrated to London and beginning operating within the building as a tunnel miner and scaffolder, operating for many of the most important contractors. He grew to become a alternate union member in 1967 whilst he joined the development alternate union. In 1971, UCATT (Union of building, Allied Trades and Technicians) was once shaped while 4 unions got here jointly, together with the development alternate union. He held each place in UCATT other than that of common secretary, serving as president from 1993 to 1995. he's an honorary member of the union, that is now a part of UNITE, and may have accomplished fifty years’ club in 2017. Even earlier than he left Ballylongford—his Kerry place of birth in Ireland—to go back and forth to a brand new existence within the united kingdom in 1963, John Flavin was once struggling with for what he believed to be correct. After becoming a member of the development union within the past due Nineteen Sixties, he served at each place in UCATT (except that of common secretary) and has over many a long time fought to enhance employees’ pay and stipulations and, extra in particular, for larger rules round well-being and defense within the office. He describes Margaret Thatcher’s government’s choice to dismantle the exchange union circulate whereas he and different union leaders tried to safe higher future health and defense stipulations in offices the place the fatality fee remained tragically excessive. Following his time period as union president, he arrange Flavin development education and Advisory providers in 1995. In 2001, he took up a place with Laing O’Rourke as workforce government for business relatives. He retired in 2014 and now lives in County Derry in Northern Ireland.