He left to work for the Post Office Savings Bank, followed by a period of National Service with the Royal Navy.
When released from the Navy, he won a trade union scholarship to Ruskin College, where he studied alongside Norman Willis.
He was involved in negotiations on issues ranging from the UK miners' strike to the expulsion of the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union from the TUC, and also organised a completed refurbishment of Congress House.
[1][2] Jackson served on numerous other bodies, including the Manpower Services Commission, Open University Committee on Continuing Education and Schools Council Convocation.
He retired from his trade union posts in 1992, following which he served on the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the board of directors of Remploy.