Ken Cameron (trade unionist)
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Ken Cameron (9 December 1941 – 16 May 2016) was a Scottish trade unionist. He was the head of the Fire Brigades Union for 20 years, from 1980 to 2000.
Born in Fort William to an Irish Catholic mother and a Scottish father, who worked as a linesman for the General Post Office, Cameron attended Fort William Senior Secondary School until he was fifteen. His first job on leaving school was as a cadet in the Inverness-shire Constabulary, but he did not enjoy this and left to become a trainee reporter on the Aberdeen Press and Journal. This too was not a success; while covering the Drumnadrochit Highland Games, he was unable to work on his assignment. His friends tried to help out but mistakenly listed the girl who had won the egg-and-spoon race as having won the caber toss. Subsequently, while covering a swimming competition, he fell into the pool, disrupting the event, which led to him losing the job.[1] Cameron spent time as a labourer on a hydro-electric scheme, before moving to Birmingham to join the fire brigade.[1][2] While there, he developed an interest in horse racing, and became a supporter of Aston Villa F.C.[1]