Press Releases
Raja Gopal – sad loss of an inspirational trainer and advocate for worker rights
The ITGLWF Secretariat and all of our affiliates were sorry to hear of the sudden and tragic loss of former TWARO Vice Secretary and former ITGLWF Education Secretary Raja Gopal. Raja died apparently of a heart attack on Sunday 27 March. All who were privileged to have known him are thinking of his wife and family at this very difficult time.
Raja served as TWARO Vice Secretary until 1984 and as ITGLWF from 1984 to 1994 a post he resigned in order to be able to spend more time with his beloved family in Malaysia. Raja was a generous, kind and conscientious friend and colleague.
Raja made a huge impact on the thousands of people he met through his work as an educator, mentor and friend. A few months ago in Dhaka Raja was on excellent form challenging the multinational brands to act decisively to prevent more factory fires. Indeed one of his many strengths was the ability to relate to everyone regardless of their status or background.
Many of the most successful current ITGLWF training programmes are those which were pioneered by Raja himself. Raja has helped workers understand how to use the many tools at their disposal to help build ever stronger trade union organisation. So his legacy lives on and his place in the history of the international labour movement is secure
