Key unions elect left-wing leaders

The election of left-wing candidates as the new general secretaries of the influential TGWU and GMB unions during the first half of 2003 has reinforced the anti-'New Labour' stance of many of the UK’s leading trade unions, and is likely to put further strains on government-union relations.

On 31 May 2003, it was announced that Tony Woodley, a left-wing candidate in the election to become general secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU), had beaten his main rival, Jack Dromey, by 66,985 votes to 45,136. Mr Dromey was tagged by the press as the modernising, 'Blair-ite' candidate, whereas Mr Woodley had indicated that he would make common cause with left-wing leaders of other trade unions in campaigning against the Blair government’s 'New Labour' policies. Barry Camfield, seen as being further to the left than Mr Woodley, polled 28,346 votes in the election, while Jimmy Elsby, the choice of outgoing general secretary Bill Morris, came in fourth place with 13,336 votes. The turn-out of members voting in the election was 20.9%.

Mr Woodley, currently the TGWU’s deputy general secretary, came to prominence as the union’s chief negotiator in the motor industry, dealing with major companies such as Ford and Vauxhall and playing a leading role in the efforts to rescue Rover in 2000 (UK0005174F). During his election campaign, he criticised the Blair government for being too closely 'wedded to big business and the middle classes'. He said that his victory was 'an early warning for the government to start listening to the priorities of Labour voting men and women, such as jobs, decent pay, good working conditions and pensions'.

The TGWU leadership election closely followed the election in April of another left-winger, Kevin Curran, as the new general secretary of the GMB general union. While the TGWU has been led from the left since the 1960s, the GMB’s leadership has traditionally been more right wing in labour movement terms. Thus, although the beaten candidate for the GMB post, Paul Kenny, was seen as being marginally to the left of Mr Curran, the latter’s election nevertheless represents a potentially significant shift in leadership style for the union. On his election, Mr Curran said: 'The priorities that concern our members and those that I campaigned on - employment rights, pensions, equality and opposition to privatisation of public services - will be my priorities in office.' Moreover, Mr Curran has committed himself to reviewing the GMB’s relationship with the Labour Party (UK0111106F), pending which he has reportedly blocked a GBP 40 million rescue package by unions affiliated to the party (according to the Guardian newspaper on 13 May 2003).

The outcome of the leadership elections in the TGWU and GMB - the UK’s third and fourth largest unions respectively - is likely to have significant implications for union-government relations. It confirms the leftward shift in the centre of gravity within the leadership of the UK’s largest trade unions, following Derek Simpson’s shock victory in 2002 over the 'government-friendly' incumbent general secretary of Amicus-AEEU, Sir Ken Jackson. Dave Prentice, the general secretary of the largest UK union, Unison, is also firmly on the trade union left. However, the 'new generation' of union leaders spans a fairly wide range of left-wing opinion and there are appreciable differences between them on such issues as links with the Labour Party and UK entry into the euro. While Mr Woodley has indicated that he will seek to build links with the existing so-called 'awkward squad' of union leaders from smaller unions - including Bob Crow of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), Mick Rix of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) (UK0304103F) and Andy Gilchrist of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) (UK0304102N) - Mr Curran is quoted as saying that he prefers to be seen as a member of the 'sensible squad'.