The General Secretary of the TUC is the chief permanent officer of the Trades Union Congress, and a major figurehead in the trade union movement in the United Kingdom.
The Secretary is responsible for the effective operation of the TUC and for leading implementation of policies set by the annual Congress and the organisation's General Council. They also serve as the TUC's chief representative, both with the public and with other organisations.
The position was formed in 1921, when the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC became the General Council. The position of Secretary has been a permanent, full-time position in the TUC since 1904. Before that, the Secretary was elected annually at Congress.
Between January 2013 and December 2022, the incumbent position was held by Frances O'Grady, the first woman to hold the post. O'Grady was succeeded by the current General Secretary, Paul Nowak – the Deputy General Secretary during O'Grady's leadership – on 29 December 2022.
Secretaries of the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC William Henry Wood (1868–1869) George Potter (1869–1872) George Odger (1872–1873) George Howell (1873–1876) Henry Broadhurst (1876–1885) George Shipton (1885–1886) Henry Broadhurst (1886–1890) Charles Fenwick (1890–1894) Sam Woods (1894–1905) W. C. Steadman (1905–1911) C. W. Bowerman (1911–1921)
General Secretaries of the TUC Status
Portrait NameTerm of office Union Honour(s) C. W. Bowerman10 September 19218 September 1923 Fred Bramley8 September 192310 October 1925 Walter Citrine10 October 192511 September 1926Knighted in 1935Baron Citrine in 194611 September 192621 October 1946 Vincent Tewson21 October 19466 September 1960 Knighted in 1950 George Woodcock6 September 196026 February 1969 Vic Feather26 February 19692 September 1969Baron Feather for Life in 19742 September 19697 September 1973 Len Murray7 September 19737 September 1984 Baron Murray of Epping Forest for Life in 1975 Norman Willis7 September 198410 September 1993 John Monks10 September 199329 May 2003 Baron Monks for Life in 2010 Brendan Barber29 May 200331 December 2012 Knighted in 2013Brendan Barber, Baron Barber of Ainsdale for life in 2025 Frances O'Grady1 January 201329 December 2022 Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway for Life in 2022 Paul Nowak29 December 2022Present
Deputy General Secretaries of the TUC 1977: Norman Willis 1985: Kenneth Graham 1987: John Monks 1993: Brendan Barber 2003: Frances O'Grady 2013: Post vacantDan Milmo, "TUC scraps post of deputy general secretary after 'graduates only' row", The Guardian, 9 December 2012 2016: Paul NowakTrades Union Congress, "Paul Nowak appointed TUC Deputy General Secretary", 25 February 2016 2022: Post vacant
Assistant General Secretaries of the TUC 1917: Fred Bramley 1924: Walter Citrine 1926: Alec Firth 1931: Vincent Tewson 1947: George Woodcock 1960: Vic Feather 1969: Len Murray 1973: Norman Willis 1978: Kenneth Graham and David Lea 1985: Roy Jackson and David Lea 1992: David Lea 1999: Post vacant 2003: Kay Carberry 2013: Kay Carberry and Paul Nowak 2016: Post vacant 2022: Kate Bell
See also President of the Trades Union Congress
References