General Council of the Trades Union Congress

The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC).

Organisation

The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed by one of the unions affiliated to the TUC. Unions with more members receive an automatic allocation of seats, in proportion to their membership. Smaller unions propose candidates for eleven elected seats. In addition, there are separately elected seats: four for women, three for black workers, at least one of whom must be a woman, and one each for young workers, workers with disabilities, and LGBT workers. The General Secretary also has a seat on the council.

Some members of the council are further elected to serve on the smaller Executive Committee of the TUC. The President of the Trades Union Congress is also chosen by the General Council.

Although the TUC has long had links with the Labour Party, members of the General Council are not permitted to sit on Labour's National Executive Committee.

History

1921 to 1983

Until 1921, the leading body of the TUC was the Parliamentary Committee. This had seventeen members, but by the collapse of the Triple Alliance, it was considered ineffective and to have insufficient powers in industrial matters.

The new General Council had 32 members, elected from industrial groups, each consisting of one or more unions operating in a particular industry. Two of the places were reserved for women. It received additional powers to intervene in the case of major industrial disputes, and to resolve inter-union conflicts. In 1924, the Joint Consultative Committee was set up, which brought trades councils ultimately under the control of the General Council. However, these powers were not always exercised; many members of the council in the early years were elected on grounds of seniority, rather than recent accomplishments. Some were associated with left- and right-wing factions, although most were not strongly identified with a particular wing of the movement.

Changes to the groups and numbers of seats were made over time, as the number of workers represented in different industries fluctuated, but the system survived intact until the early 1980s.

Group 1: Mining and Quarrying

Robert Smillie, member from 1921 to 1927

Arthur Scargill, member from 1980 to 1983

Most of the members elected from Group 1 represented the large Miners' Federation of Great Britain, or its successor, the National Union of Mineworkers, but there were several smaller unions which often managed to win one seat.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Robert Thomas Jones	NWQU	Robert Smillie	MFGB	Hugh Murnin	MFGB
1922					Herbert Smith	MFGB
1925					Thomas Richards	MFGB
1927			A. J. Cook	MFGB
1931			Herbert Smith	MFGB	Ebby Edwards	MFGB
1932			John McGurk	MFGB
1933	Peter Lee	MFGB	William Forshaw	LCNWCEBBF
1934	Joseph Jones	MFGB
1935			Will Lawther	MFGB
1938	R. W. Williams	NWQU
1946	Jim Bowman	NUM			Robert J. Jones	NWQU
1950	Bartholomew Walsh	NACODS
1950	Ernest Jones	NUM
1954			Edwin Hall	NUM
1957					Bartholomew Walsh	NACODS
1960	Joseph Crawford	NACODS	Will Paynter	NUM	Len Martin	NUM
1961			Fred Collindridge	NUM
1963			Sidney Ford	NUM
1971			Lawrence Daly	NUM	Representation reduced to two seats
1973	Joe Gormley	NUM
1980	Arthur Scargill	NUM
1981			Ray Chadburn	NUM
1982			Mick McGahey	NUM

Group 2: Railways

J. H. Thomas, member from 1921 to 1924, and 1925 to 1929

Throughout this period, Group 2 comprised three railway unions: the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA). Each usually saw its general secretary elected to one of the three seats, although the abolition of one seat in 1969 left a battle between ASLEF and the TSSA for the second seat.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Alexander Walkden	TSSA	J. H. Thomas	NUR	John Bromley	ASLEF
1924			John Marchbank	NUR
1925			J. H. Thomas	NUR
1929			Charlie Cramp	NUR
1933			John Marchbank	NUR
1936	William Stott	TSSA			Richard Squance	ASLEF
1940	Charles Gallie	TSSA			William P. Allen	ASLEF
1944			John Benstead	NUR
1947	Fred Bostock	TSSA	Jim Figgins	NUR	Jim Baty	ASLEF
1948	George Thorneycroft	TSSA
1953	Bill Webber	TSSA	Jim Campbell	NUR
1955					Albert Hallworth	ASLEF
1957			Sidney Greene	NUR
1960					William Evans	ASLEF
1963	John Bothwell	TSSA			Albert Griffiths	ASLEF
1968	Percy Coldrick	TSSA
1969					Seat abolished
1972	Ray Buckton	ASLEF
1975			Sidney Weighell	NUR

Group 3: Transport (other than railways)

Ernest Bevin, member from 1925 to 1940

By far the largest union in Group 3 was the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), although representatives of the National Union of Seamen and a couple of minor unions often secured one seat.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Harry Gosling	ASWLB	Ben Tillett	TGWU	Created 1930		Created 1968		Created 1977
1924	Joe Cotter	AMWU
1925	Ernest Bevin	TGWU
1930					John Beard	TGWU
1931			William Robert Spence	NUS
1935					Walter Farthing	TGWU
1940	Arthur Deakin	TGWU
1942			Charles Jarman	NUS
1944					Bert Papworth	TGWU
1947			Tom Yates	NUS
1949					Albert McAndrews	TGWU
1955	Jock Tiffin	TGWU			A. L. Hill	TGWU
1956	Frank Cousins	TGWU
1958					Len Forden	TGWU
1961			Jim Scott	NUS
1962			Bill Hogarth	NUS
1965	Harry Nicholas	TGWU
1966					Frank Cousins	TGWU
1967	Bill Jones	TGWU
1968							Jack Jones	TGWU
1969					Harry Urwin	TGWU
1970	Fred Howell	TGWU
1972			John Slater	MNAOA
1974	Jim Slater	NUS	Stan Pemberton	TGWU
1977									Moss Evans	TGWU
1978							Walter Greendale	TGWU
1980					Larry Smith	TGWU
1982			Derek Gray	TGWU

Group 4: Shipbuilding

John Hill, member from 1921 to 1936

The Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers dominated Group 4, with various smaller unions gradually merging into it or the general unions.

Year	Representative	Union
1921	John Hill	ASB
1936	Mark Hodgson	ASB
1948	Ted Hill	ASB
1965	Danny McGarvey	ASB
1977	John Chalmers	ASB
1980	Jim Murray	ASB

Group 5: Engineering, Founding and Vehicle Building

Hugh Scanlon, member from 1968 to 1978

Group 5 contained a large number of unions - 26 in 1934 - and while the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) reliably won at least one seat, unions like the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and United Patternmakers' Association (UPA) often won seats.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Alonzo Swales	AEU	Jimmy Rowan	ETU	Allan Findlay	UPA	Created 1968
1935	Harry Berry	AEU			George Walker Thomson	AESD
1938	James Kaylor	AEU
1941			Ernest Bussey	ETU
1943	Jack Tanner	AEU
1947			Wilfred Blackwell Beard	UPA
1948					Robert Openshaw	AEU
1954	William Carron	AEU
1957					William Tallon	AEU
1967			John McFarlane Boyd	AEU	Alf Roberts	NUVB
1968	Percy Hanley	AEF					Hugh Scanlon	AEF
1970	Len Edmondson	AUEW
1972					Les Buck	NUSMWCH&D
1975			Reg Birch	AUEW
1977					George Guy	NUSMWCH&D
1978	John McFarlane Boyd	AUEW					Terence Duffy	AUEW
1979			Gavin Laird	AUEW
1982	Ed Scrivens	AUEW	Gerry Russell	AUEW

Group 6: Technical, Engineering and Scientific

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1968	Created 1968		Created 1974
1968	George Doughty	TASS
1974	Ken Gill	TASS	Clive Jenkins	ASTMS

Group 7: Electrical

Year	Representative	Union
1965	Created
1965	Les Cannon	EETPU
1971	Frank Chapple	EETPU

Group 8: Iron and Steel and Minor Metal Trades

The Iron and Steel and Minor Metal Trades Group was originally Group 6, but was renumbered in 1968. The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) was the largest union in the group, and consistently held one of its seats. Until 1966, there was a second seat, held by the tiny National Union of Gold, Silver and Allied Trades (NUGSAT), and later by the National Union of Blastfurnacemen (NUB). There were many other small unions in the group - in 1934, it had 23 members.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Arthur Pugh	ISTC	William Kean	NUGSAT
1935	John Brown	ISTC
1945	Lincoln Evans	ISTC	Ambrose Callighan	NUB
1947			Jack Owen	NUB
1953	Harry Douglass	ISTC	Joseph O'Hagan	NUB
1966			Reduced to 1 seat
1967	Dai Davies	ISTC
1975	Bill Sirs	ISTC

Group 9: Building, Woodworking and Furnishing

George Lowthian, member from 1952 to 1973

The Building, Woodworking and Furnishing Group was originally Group 7, but was renumbered in 1965. While there were initially a large number of unions in the group, the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers (AUBTW) and Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW) generally won the seats, and later became part of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), which dominated the group from the 1970s. The National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association (NAFTA) won a seat in the early years, and pursued an independent course throughout this period.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	George Hicks	AUBTW	A. A. Purcell	NAFTA
1928			Frank Wolstencroft	ASW
1940	Luke Fawcett	AUBTW
1949			Jack McDermott	ASW
1952	George Lowthian	AUBTW
1958			John C. Hill	ASW
1959			George Smith	ASW
1973	Glynn Lloyd	UCATT
1979			Les Wood	UCATT

Group 9: Cotton

John William Ogden, member from 1921 to 1930

The Cotton Group was the original Group 9; in 1968, it was merged into the Textiles Group. The cotton industry had a large number of small trade unions, and in 1934, the group had 46 members. Unusually, the majority of individual members of the unions were women, but the seats were always won by men, representing one of the three amalgamations to which most of the unions belonged: the Amalgamated Weavers' Association (AWA), the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners (AAOCS), and the Cardroom Amalgamation (CWA).

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	John William Ogden	AWA	Henry Boothman	AAOCS
1930	James Hindle	AWA
1936			William Wood	AAOCS
1937	James Bell	AWA
1938			Robert C. Handley	AAOCS
1940			Alfred Roberts	CWA
1945	Andrew Naesmith	AWA
1953	Lewis Wright	AWA
1963			Reduced to 1 seat
1968	Merged into Textiles Group

Group 10: Printing and Paper

The Printing and Paper Group was originally Group 8, but was renumbered in 1968. Almost all of its members were involved with printing, and in the early years, the seat was contested by four larger unions: the London Society of Compositors (LSC), National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA), National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers (NUPBPW), and Typographical Association (TA). Over the years, these undertook a series of mergers, forming new unions, including the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT).

Year	Representative	Union
1921	Herbert Skinner	TA
1932	George Isaacs	NATSOPA
1945	E. W. Spackman	NUPBPW
1947	Robert Willis	LSC
1965	Richard Briginshaw	NATSOPA
1975	Bill Keys	SOGAT

Group 11: Textiles

Ben Turner, member from 1921 to 1929

The Textiles Group was originally Group 10: Textiles (other than cotton). Although there were a wide variety of unions - 18 in 1934 - the National Union of Textile Workers (NUTW), and then its successor, the National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers (NUDBTW), almost always won the seat. In 1968, the cotton group was merged in, forming Group 11: Textiles, and while the dyers generally won the seat (latterly as a section of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), the main cotton workers' union, the National Union of Textile and Allied Workers (NUTAW), held it for a few years.

Year	Representative	Union
1921	Ben Turner	NUTW
1929	Arthur Shaw	NUDBTW
1939	George Bagnall	NUDBTW
1948	Wilfred Heywood	NUDBTW
1957	Leonard Sharp	NUDBTW
1966	Jack Peel	NUDBTW
1972	Joe King	NUTAW
1975	Fred Dyson	NUDBTW
1979	Bill Maddocks	NUDBTW
1982	Eddie Haigh	TGWU

Group 12: Clothing

The Clothing Group was dominated by the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers (NUTGW), which gradually absorbed the smaller unions of tailors. It also included unions for hosiery workers which eventually merged as the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers, and the two Felt Hatters' and Trimmers' Unions of Great Britain. Originally Group 11, in 1968 it absorbed the Boot, Shoe and Leather Group, and was renumbered as Group 12.

Year	Representative	Union
1921	Andrew Conley	NUTGW
1949	Anne Loughlin	NUTGW
1953	John E. Newton	NUTGW
1970	Jack Macgougan	NUTGW
1979	Alec Smith	NUTGW

Group 12: Boot, Shoe and Leather

William R. Townley, member from 1930 to 1937

The Boot, Shoe and Leather Group was dominated by the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO). It also included smaller rivals, notably the Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives, unions of leather workers, and the National Union of Glovers. The Boot, Shoe and Leather Group was the original Group 12, but in 1968 it was merged into the Clothing Group.

Year	Representative	Union
1921	Edward L. Poulton	NUBSO
1930	William R. Townley	NUBSO
1937	George Chester	NUBSO
1949	James Crawford	NUBSO
1957	Lionel Poole	NUBSO
1959	Sydney Robinson	NUBSO

Group 13: Glass, Pottery, Chemicals, Food, Drink, Tobacco, Brushmaking and Distribution

John Turner, member from 1921 to 1925

Group 13 was highly diverse. The most important unions were those involved in distribution, the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks (NAUSAWC) and the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), which later merged to form the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers. In 1952, a second seat was added, and this was invariably filled by representatives of smaller unions, the largest of which were the Bakers', Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) and the National Society of Pottery Workers (NSPW). There were many smaller unions, and the Tobacco Workers' Union (TWU) secured representation for a few years.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	John Turner	NAUSAWC	Created 1952
1925	John Leslie	NAUSAWC
1926	Joseph Hallsworth	NUDAW
1947	A. W. Burrows	USDAW
1949	Alan Birch	USDAW
1952			Harold Hewitt	NSPW
1962	Alf Allen	USDAW
1964			Ernest Haynes	BFAWU
1969			Stan Gretton	BFAWU
1973			Doug Grieve	TWU
1979	Bill Whatley	USDAW

Group 14: Agriculture

Harold Collison, member from 1953 to 1970

For most of the period, the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers (NUAAW) was the only union in Group 14. The Scottish Farm Servants' Union, initially also in this group, merged into the Transport and General Workers' Union early on.

Year	Representative	Union
1921	Robert Barrie Walker	NUAAW
1928	Bill Holmes	NUAAW
1945	Alf Dann	NUAAW
1953	Harold Collison	NUAAW
1970	Reg Bottini	NUAAW
1978	Jack Boddy	NUAAW

Group 15: Public Employees

Rodney Bickerstaffe, member from 1982 to 1983

Group 15 brought together unions of state and local authority workers. However, the Trade Union Act 1927 banned state employees from joining the TUC, leaving the group dominated by the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE), Mental Hospital and Institutional Workers' Union (MHIWU), National Union of County Officers and Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The ban was lifted after World War II, but a new group was added for civil servants. Despite this, the public employees group steadily grew in size, the affiliation of the National and Local Government Officers' Association and the National Union of Teachers being particularly important, while the Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) absorbed the MHIWU.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	John William Bowen	UPW	Created 1965		Created 1968		Created 1970		Created 1977
1928	George Gibson	MHIWU
1948	Claude Bartlett	COHSE
1963	Sydney Hill	NUPE
1965			Walter Anderson	NALGO
1968	Alan Fisher	NUPE			Terry Parry	FBU
1970							Edward Britton	NUT
1973			Geoffrey Drain	NALGO
1974							Fred Jarvis	NUT
1977									Albert Spanswick	COHSE
1981					Ken Cameron	FBU
1982	Rodney Bickerstaffe	NUPE

Group 16: Civil Servants

The Civil Servants Group was added in 1946, when unions of civil servants were first permitted to affiliate to the TUC.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1946	Created 1946
1946	Charles Geddes	UCW	Seat added 1952		Seat added 1977
1952			Douglas Houghton	IRSF
1957	Ron Smith	UCW
1960			George Green	CSCA
1963			Cyril Plant	IRSF
1967	Thomas Jackson	UCW
1977			Tony Christopher	IRSF	Ken Thomas	CPSA
1982	Alan Tuffin	UCW			Alistair Graham	CPSA

Group 17: Non-Manual Workers

Joe Williams, member from 1921 to 1925

The Non-Manual Workers Group consisted of clerks, insurance staff, workers in entertainment, and doctors. Many of its unions grew rapidly during this period, with the Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX), National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees (NATKE) and Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) becoming important. The National Federation of Insurance Workers - later part of the National Union of Insurance Workers - was also sizable, but never gained a seat on the council, unlike the smaller Musicians' Union.

The Non-Manual Workers Group was originally Group 16 and was renumbered on the creation of the Civil Servants Group, in 1946.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Joe Williams	MU	Created 1968
1925	Herbert Henry Elvin	NUCAW
1940	Tom O'Brien	NATKE
1968			Leslie Littlewood	ABS
1970			Alan Sapper	ACTT
1971	Roy Grantham	APEX
1975	John Morton	MU

Group 18: General Workers

There were initially a large number of unions of general workers, but within a couple of decades, they had all been absorbed into two large general unions - the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW), which became the sole union in this group, and the Transport and General Workers' Union, which was instead placed in Group 3. The General Workers Group was originally Group 17 and was renumbered on the creation of the Civil Servants Group, in 1948.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	John Beard	WU	Joseph Nicholas Bell	NAUL	John Davenport	UOGL	Will Thorne	NUGW
1922					Arthur Hayday	NUGMW
1923			J. H. Moore	NLWU
1924			John Davenport	TGWU
1930							Reduced to 3 seats in 1930
1934	Charles Dukes	NUGMW	Will Sherwood	NUGMW
1937			Herbert Bullock	NUGMW	Harry N. Harrison	NUGMW
1947	Tom Williamson	NUGMW
1948					Herbert Eastwood	URWGB
1949					Tom Eccles	NUGMW
1950			Frederick Hayday	NUGMW
1959					Jack Cooper	NUGMW
1962	Bernard Swindell	NUGMW
1966	David Basnett	NUGMW
1973			Alex M. Donnet	NUGMW	Jack Eccles	NUGMW
1976			Ken Baker	NUGMW

Group 19: Women Workers

Julia Varley, member from 1921 to 1925, and 1926 to 1935

Margaret Bondfield, member from 1921 to 1923, and 1925 to 1929

In 1921, the Women's Trade Union League became the Women's Section of the TUC, and most women's trade unions merged into their counterparts. In exchange, the TUC agreed to create a two-member group, to ensure that women workers had representation on the council. The group was originally numbered 18, and was renumbered on the creation of the Civil Servants Group.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1921	Julia Varley	TGWU	Margaret Bondfield	NUGW
1923			Mary Quaile	TGWU
1925	Margaret Bondfield	GMWU
1926			Julia Varley	TGWU
1929	Anne Loughlin	NUTGW
1935			Florence Hancock	TGWU
1949	Anne Godwin	NUCAW
1958			Ellen McCullough	TGWU
1963	Marie Patterson	TGWU	Winifred Baddeley	AEU
1968			Audrey Prime	NALGO
1977			Ada Maddocks	NALGO

The group was expanded to five seats in 1981.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1981	Ada Maddocks	NALGO	Gina Morgan	AUEW	Marie Patterson	TGWU	Muriel Turner	ASTMS	Pat Turner	GMB

1983 to present

After many years of discussion, a comprehensive restructure of the council was agreed in 1982, and took place following the annual TUC meeting in September 1983. Initially, the new council had 53 members, with those unions with more than 100,000 members gaining automatic seats and therefore becoming eligible to nominate members without them being subject to a vote of other unions. Six seats were initially reserved for women.

Section A: Larger unions

Current members

Tim Roache, member since 2014

GMB
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
1983	David Basnett	Jack Eccles	Ken Baker	3 seats until 1989
1985			Dick Pickering
1986	John Edmonds	Derek Oliver Gladwin
1989		Donna Covey		Roy Grantham
1992				Alec Smith
1993				Frank Wilkinson
1997			Sheila Bearcroft	Eddie Warrillow
1999		Jean Foster
2000				Paul Kenny
2003	Kevin Curran
2004		3 seats 2004-2009
2005	Allan Garley
2009		Malcolm Sage
2011	Paul McCarthy
2014	Neil Derrick			Tim Roache
2020				3 seats from 2020
2021	Farzana Jumma	Barbara Plant	Gary Smith

National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)
Year	Representative	Representative
2002	In Section B until 2002
2002	Nigel de Gruchy	Sue Rogers
2003	Eamonn O'Kane
2004	Chris Keates
2009		Jerry Bartlett
2010		Brian Cookson
2017		Patrick Roach
2020	Michelle Codrington-Rogers

Mary Bousted, member since 2003

National Education Union (NEU)
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative
2017	Formed by merger of ATL and NUT
2017	Mary Bousted	Kevin Courtney	Philipa Harvey
2020			Louise Atkinson
2021			2 seats from 2021 to 2023
2023	Daniel Kebede	Louise Regan	Niamh Sweeney

Rita Donaghy, member from 1987 to 2001

UNISON
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
1993	Formed by merger of COHSE, NALGO and NUPE
1993	Rodney Bickerstaffe	Rita Donaghy	Jean Geldart	Ina Love	Alan Jinkinson	Hector Mackenzie	Six seats until 2005
1995			Alison Shepherd	Chris Connolly
1996				Dave Prentis	Wendy Evans
2000					David Anderson
2001	Liz Snape	Veronica Dunn				Keith Sonnet
2003		Sofi Taylor
2005					Bob Abberley		Jane Carolan
2006		Six seats in 2006
2007		Gerry Gallagher				Eleanor Smith
2010		Angela Lynes	Six seats 2010-2015
2012					Chris Tansley
2013		Karen Jennings
2015			Roger McKenzie
2018		Josie Bird				Davena Rankin	Six seats from 2018
2021		Andrea Egan	Paul Holmes	Christina McAnea	Kath Owen	Tony Wright
2023		Julia Mwaluke	Libby Nolan		Steve North

Len McCluskey, member since 2007

Unite
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
2007	Formed by merger of Amicus and TGWU
2007	Gail Cartmail	Tony Dubbins	Len McCluskey	Brenda Sanders	Derek Simpson	Tony Woodley	Pat Stuart	Dougie Rooney	Martin Mayer	Paul Talbot
2008		Tony Burke		Tony Woodhouse
2009									Reduced to 8 seats
2011					Jane Stewart	Steve Turner		Andrew Murray
2012								Reduced to 7 seats
2014							Maggie Ryan
2021		Sharon Graham	Reduced to 6 seats
2023	Sarah Carpenter			Angela Duerden	Andy Green

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW)
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative
1983	Bill Whatley	One seat until 1989
1986	Garfield Davies
1989		Bernadette Hillon	Two seats until 2012
1997	Bill Connor
1998		Marge Carey
2004	John Hannett
2006		Pauline Foulkes
2007		Fiona Wilson
2012			Tony Dale
2018	Ruth Cross	Paddy Lillis
2021			Joanne Cairns
2023	Two seats from 2023

Former members

Bill Jordan, member from 1986 to 1995

AEU/AEEU
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
1983	Terence Duffy	Edward Scrivens	Gerry Russell	Jack Whyman
1984				3 seats in 1984
1985				Jack Whyman
1986	Bill Jordan	3 seats 1986-1988
1987			John Weakley
1989		Gina Morgan
1990		Jimmy Airlie		Maureen Rooney
1992		3 seats in 1992
1993		Jimmy Airlie
1994		Ken Jackson
1995	John Allen		Bill Morgan
1996	Robert Elsom		Davey Hall
1998	Dougie Rooney		Brendan Fenelon
1999			Mark Tami
2001	Merged with MSF to form Amicus

Amicus
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
2001	Formed by merger of AEEU and MSF
2001	Roger Lyons	Dougie Rooney	Maureen Rooney	Paul Talbot	?
2002					Sharon Allen	Danny Carrigan	Ken Jackson
2003			Linda McCulloch		Derek Simpson	Five seats in 2003
2004			Lucy Kelly			Ed Sweeney	Six seats from 2004
2005	Gail Cartmail		Tony Dubbins
2007	Merged with TGWU to form Unite

Jeannie Drake, member from 1990 to 2008

Communication Workers' Union (CWU)
Year	Representative	Representative
1995	Formed by merger of NCU and UCW
1995	Tony Young	Jeannie Drake
2002	Billy Hayes
2008		Tony Kearns
2015	Moved to Section B

Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE)
Year	Representative	Representative
1983	David Williams	1 seat until 1989
1987	Hector Mackenzie
1989		Judith Carter
1993	Merged with NALGO and NUPE to form UNISON

Tony Dubbins, member from 1984 to 1988, and 1992 to 2008

Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU)
Year	Representative	Representative
1992	Formed by merger of NGA and SOGAT
1992	Dennis Hill	Tony Dubbins
1993	Tony Burke
2002	Moved to Section B

Manufacturing, Science and Finance (MSF)
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
1988	Formed by merger of ASTMS and TASS
1988	Anne Gibson	Ken Gill	Two seats until 1989
1989			Roger Lyons	Jack Carr
1992		Three seats from 1992
1993				Barbara Switzer
1999				Paul Talbot
2000	Sharon Allen
2001	Merged with AEEU to form Amicus

National and Local Government Officers' Association (NALGO)
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
1983	Bill Gill	John Daly	Norrie Steele	3 seats until 1989
1987	Rita Donaghy
1989				Ada Maddocks
1990		Alan Jinkinson
1991			Jean Geldart	Jim White
1993	Merged with COHSE and NUPE to form UNISON

National Union of Public Employees (NUPE)
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative
1983	Rodney Bickerstaffe	Lily Stevens	2 seats until 1989
1984		Dilwyn Davies
1985		B. Ward
1986		Joyce Winsett
1987		Ron Baird
1988		Michael Page
1989			Ina Love
1990		Bill Thorburn
1991		Jean Biggs
1992	Anna McGonigle
1993	Merged with COHSE and NALGO to form UNISON

National Union of Teachers (NUT)
Year	Representative	Representative
2001	In Section B until 2001
2001	Pat Hawkes	Doug McAvoy
2004		Steve Sinnott
2005	Lesley Auger
2008	Christine Blower	Dave Harvey
2016	Kevin Courtney	Philipa Harvey
2017	Merged with ATL to form NEU

Mark Serwotka, member since 2002

Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
Year	Representative	Representative
1998	Formed by merger of CPSA and PSTCU
1998	Gwenda Binks	Barry Reamsbottom
2002	Janice Godrich	Mark Serwotka
2016	Moved to Section B

Bill Morris, member from 1988 to 2003

Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU)
Year	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative	Representative
1983	Douglas Gray	Walter Greendale	Brian Nicholson	Larry Smith	Moss Evans	5 seats 1983 to 1984
1984	Ron Todd
1985					4 seats 1985 to 1989
1986		Wilf Jowett
1988		Peter Hagger	Bill Morris	Daniel Duffy
1989					Margaret Prosser	Maureen Twomey
1992	Jack Adams			5 seats 1992 to 1995
1995		Peter Landles
1996				4 seats from 1996
1997						Marie Vannet
2000	Barry Camfield
2002						Jane McKay
2003			Tony Woodley
2004		Jimmy Kelly				Patricia Stuart
2005	Merged with Amicus to form Unite

George Brumwell, member from 1988 to 2002

Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT)
Year	Representative	Representative
1983	Les Wood	1 seat until 1989
1985	Albert Williams
1989		Jack Henry
1991		Peter Lenahan
1992	George Brumwell
1993	Moved to Section B

Alan Johnson, member from 1993 to 1995

Union of Communication Workers (UCW)
Year	Representative	Representative
1983	Alan Tuffin	1 seat until 1990
1990		Margaret Morritt
1992		1 seat from 1992
1993	Alan Johnson
1995	Merged with NCU to form CWU

Section B: Unions with 30,000 to 200,000 members

Section B originated as part of Section A, unions with 100,000 to 200,000 members being automatically entitled to one seat on the council.

Year	APEX	ASTMS	BIFU	CPSA	EETPU	NASUWT	NGA	NUM	NUR	NUT	POEU/ NCU	SOGAT	TASS
1983	Roy Grantham	Clive Jenkins	Leif Mills	Alistair Graham	Eric Hammond	Fred Smithies	Joe Wade	Mick McGahey	Jimmy Knapp	Fred Jarvis	Bryan Stanley	Bill Keys	Ken Gill
1984				Ray Alderson			Tony Dubbins
1985				Alistair Graham								Brenda Dean
1986				Kate Losinska				Arthur Scargill			John Golding
1987				John Macreadie	Expelled in 1987
1988		Merged into MSF		John Ellis				Moved to Section B in 1988			E. George		Merged into MSF

In 1989, these unions were moved to a new Section B, but there were no changes to their entitlement of seats.

Year	ATL	CPSA	GPMU	NASUWT	NCU	NUCPS	NUR	NUT	Prospect	SOGAT	UCATT	UCU	UNIFI
1989	Affiliated 1998	John Ellis	Section A until 2002	Nigel de Gruchy	Anthony Young	Leslie Christie	Jimmy Knapp	Doug McAvoy	Founded 2001	Brenda Dean	Section A until 1993	Founded 2006	Leif Mills
1992		Barry Reamsbottom				John Sheldon	Moved to Section C			Merged into GPMU
1993											George Brumwell
1995					Merged into CWU
1996						Merged into PSTCU							Ed Sweeney
1998	Peter Smith	Merged into PCS
2000
2001								Moved to Section A	Paul Noon
2002			Tony Dubbins	Moved to Section A
2003	Mary Bousted
2004													Merged into Amicus
2005			Merged into Amicus								Alan Ritchie
2006												Sally Hunt
2011											George Guy

Unions with 30,000 to 99,999 members moved to Section B in 2012.

Year	ATL	CSP	Community	CWU	EIS	Equity	FBU	MU	NAHT	NUJ	POA	Prospect	PCS	RCM	RMT	SoR	UCATT	UCU
2012	Mary Bousted	Lesley Mercer	Michael J. Leahy	Section A until 2015	Larry Flanagan	Christine Payne	Matt Wrack	John F. Smith	Section C until 2019	Michelle Stanistreet	Steve Gillan	Mike Clancy	Section A until 2016	Affiliated 2015	Bob Crow	Section C until 2023	Steve Murphy	Sally Hunt
2013
2014		Claire Sullivan	Roy Rickhuss												Peter Pinkney
2015				Dave Ward						In Section C in 2015				Jon Skewes	Mick Cash		Brian Rye
2016										Michelle Stanistreet			Mark Serwotka
2017	Merged into NEU in 2017							Horace Trubridge									Merged into Unite in 2017
2018
2019									Paul Whiteman									Jo Grady
2020						Stephen Spence
2021						Paul W. Fleming				Section C from 2021					Mick Lynch
2022								Naomi Pohl						Suzanne Tyler
2023					Andrea Bradley											Dean Rogers

Section C: Other unions

Unions with fewer than 100,000 members were placed in Section B until 1989.

Year	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union
1983	Ray Buckton	ASLEF	Ken Cameron	FBU	Tony Christopher	IRSF	Bob Garland	AEU-Foundry	Doug Grieve	TWU	John Lyons	EMA	Charles P. McCarthy	NSMM	John Morton	MU	Laurie Sapper	ACTT	Bill Sirs	ISTC	Alec Smith	NUTGW
1984			David Lambert	KFAT			Bill McCall	IPCS	Bob Stevenson	NUFLAT							Bert Lyons	TSSA
1985													Roy Evans	ISTC	Roy Grantham	APEX			Eric Nevin	MNAOA
1986	John Morton	MU
1987
1988

In 1989, the section for small unions was renamed Section C, and was reduced to eight members.

Year	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union
1989	Bill Brett	IPMS	Clive Brooke	IRSF	Roy Evans	ISTC	David Lambert	KFAT	John Lyons	EMA	John Morton	MU	Alec Smith	NUTGW	Bob Stevenson	NUFLAT
1990											Dennis Scard	MU			John Newman	NUMAST
1991									Ken Cameron	FBU			David Evans	POA
1992					Keith Brookman	ISTC									Reduced to 7 seats in 1992
1993							Jimmy Knapp	RMT
1996			Tony Cooper	EMA
1998	John Chowcat	NAEIAC
1999	Michael J. Leahy	Community			Brian Orrell	NUMAST
2000			Andy Gilchrist	FBU					Ged Nichols	Accord			Richard Rosser	TSSA

Increased to 11 members in 2001.

Year	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union
2001	Jonathan Baume	FDA	Brian Caton	POA	Paul Gates	KFAT	Andy Gilchrist	FBU	Michael J. Leahy	Community	Judy McKnight	NAPO	Ged Nichols	Accord	Paul Noon	IMPS	Brian Orrell	NUMAST	Mick Rix	ASLEF	Richard Rosser	TSSA
2002					Jeremy Dear	NUJ									Paul Mackney	NATFHE
2003													Bob Crow	RMT					Paul Gates	KFAT
2004																			Gerry Doherty	TSSA	Ged Nichols	Accord
2005							Doug Nicholls	CYWU					Tim Poil	NGSU
2006							Matt Wrack	FBU
2007															John F. Smith	MU
2008											Christine Payne	Equity
2009																	Mark Dickinson	Nautilus
2010			Bob Crow	RMT							Steve Gillan	POA
2011					Michelle Stanistreet	NUJ													Simon Weller	ASLEF

In 2012, unions with 30,000 to 99,999 members were moved to Section B, and Section C was reduced to seven members.

Year	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union	Name	Union
2012	Manuel Cortes	TSSA	Mark Dickinson	Nautilus	Ged Nichols	Accord	Dave Penman	FDA	Tim Poil	NGSU	Eddie Saville	HCSA	Simon Weller	ASLEF
2013
2014
2015
2016									Nick Cusack	PFA
2017
2018											Brian Linn	Aegis
2019									Martin Furlong	COP
2020
2021
2022
2023	Sarah Woolley	BFAWU

Section D: Women

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1983	Olwyn Davies	NUPE	Ada Maddocks	NALGO	Gina Morgan	AEU	Marie Patterson	TGWU	Muriel Turner	ASTMS	Pat Turner	GMB
1985							Margaret Prosser	TGWU
1987	Bernadette Hillon	USDAW							Ina Love	NUPE

Diana Warwick, member from 1989 to 1992

Reduced to four members in 1989.

Year	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1989	Liz Symons	FDA	Pam Thomas	SOGAT	Diana Warwick	AUT	Margaret Morritt	UCW
1990							Jeannie Drake	NCU
1992			Pat Hawkes	NUT	Pat Dwyer	UCW
1995					Helen McGrath	KFAT	Jocelyn Prudence	CSP
1996	Anita Halpin	NUJ
1997	Penny Holloway	AUT
1999					Anita Halpin	NUJ	Jenny Thurston	Prospect
2000					Lesley Mercer	CSP
2001			Anita Halpin	NUJ
2002	Julie Grant	ATL
2003	Sally Hunt	AUT
2005							Sue Ferns	Prospect
2007	Julia Neal	ATL
2009			Joanna Brown	SCP
2011	Alice Robinson	ATL
2012					Sue Mather	Community
2013	Niamh Sweeney	ATL
2014					Linda Rolph	Accord
2016			Annette Mansell-Green	BDA
2017	Vicky Knight	UCU
2018					Janice Godrich	PCS
2019	Isabelle Gutierrez	MU			Jane Loftus	CWU
2021	Heather McKenzie	NEU
2023	Vacant

Sections E, F and G: Black workers

Year	Section E		Section F		Section G
	Representative	Union	Representative	Union	Representative	Union
1994	Bob Purkiss	TGWU	Gus Boateng	UCW	Gloria Mills	Unison
1995			Mohan Dhamrait	NUT
2000	Mohammad Taj	Unite
2001			Leslie Mannaseh	Prospect
2015			Micky Nicholas	FBU
2017	Susan Matthews	Unite
2018			Ian Lawrence	Napo

Section H: Disabled workers

Created 2001

Year	Representative	Union
2001	Mark Fysh	Unison
2011	Seán McGovern	Unite
2020	Dave Allen	Unite
2023	Martyn Gwyther	Unite

Section I: LGBT workers

Created 2001

Year	Representative	Union
2001	David Lascelles	GMB
2006	Maria Exall	CWU

Section J: Young workers

Created 2001

Year	Representative	Union
2001	Phil Pinder	TGWU
2004	Matthew McGregor	TGWU
2005	John Walsh	Unite
2011	Fern McCaffrey	GMB
2016	Craig Dawson	GMB
2018	Charlie Gray	GMB