General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress

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

• W. H. 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

Deputy General Secretaries of the TUC

1977: Norman Willis

1985: Kenneth Graham

1987: John Monks

1993: Brendan Barber

2003: Frances O'Grady

2013: Post vacant

2016: Paul Nowak

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

1. Trades Union Congress
2. General Council of the Trades Union Congress
3. National Trades Union Congress
4. Scottish Trades Union Congress
5. Paul Nowak (trade unionist)
6. General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
7. Brendan Barber
8. President of the Trades Union Congress
9. Frances O'Grady, Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway
10. Secretary (title)
11. Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress
12. List of affiliates of the Trades Union Congress
13. John Monks
14. September 2022 United Kingdom mini-budget
15. GMB (trade union)
16. Ghana Trades Union Congress
17. Roy Jackson (trade unionist)
18. Norman Willis
19. 2022 in United Kingdom politics and government
20. George Woodcock (trade unionist)