Brendan Barber Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Sir
Brendan Barber
Office:Chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
Term Start:2014
Term End:2020
Minister:Vince Cable
Sajid Javid
Greg Clark
Andrea Leadsom
Alok Sharma
Kwasi Kwarteng
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Predecessor:Ed Sweeney
Successor:Claire Chapman
Office2:10th General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
Term Start2:2003
Term End2:2012
Predecessor2:John Monks
Successor2:Frances O'Grady
Office3:Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
Term Start3:1993
Term End3:2003
Predecessor3:John Monks
Successor3:Frances O'Grady
Birth Date:3 April 1951
Birth Place:Southport, England
Alma Mater:City University London

Sir Brendan Paul Barber (born 3 April 1951) is a British trade union official. He served as chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Council until 2020. He is a former general secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress (TUC); a post he held from June 2003 until his retirement at the end of 2012. He was appointed Acas Chair in 2014, replacing Ed Sweeney, who had been in the post since 2007. He also serves on the board of the Banking Standards Board (2015–), the Board of Transport for London (2013–), the board of Britain Stronger in Europe (2015–), the Council of City University, London and the board of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (2014–).

Early life

Born in Southport, Lancashire, Barber was educated at St Mary's College, Sefton (then a direct grant grammar school). Between school and university, he spent a year with VSO teaching in the Volta Region of Ghana. At City University London, he earned a BA hons in social sciences in 1974, then spent the next year as the president of the students' union.[1]

Career

He spent a year as a researcher for the Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products Industry Training Board based in Harrow.[1]

TUC

In 1975. he began working at the TUC[2] as a policy officer. In 1979, he became the head of the TUC's Press and Information Department.In 1987, he became head of the Organisation and Industrial Relations Department and in 1993 he became deputy general secretary.[1]

He became General Secretary of the TUC in June 2003. On 18 April 2012, he announced his retirement, enabling a successor to be elected in September at Trades Union Congress 2012.[3] Frances O'Grady was elected his successor.[4]

Awards

In 2007, Barber was given an Award of Doctor of Science honoris causa by City University London. He was knighted in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to employment relations.[5]

Personal life

He met Mary Gray in the TUC International Dept, and they married. They have two daughters. He supports Everton F.C. and lives in Muswell Hill.[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biographical details: Brendan Barber . Trades Union Congress . 24 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120725084803/http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/about_bbarber.cfm . 25 July 2012 .
  2. Book: Stevenson, Alexander. 978-0-7494-6777-7. The Public Sector: Managing The Unmanageable. 2013. Kogan Page.
  3. Web site: Brendan Barber to retire as TUC General Secretary . Trades Union Congress . 18 April 2012 . 24 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121012175248/http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-20916-f0.cfm . 12 October 2012 . dead .
  4. News: Profile: Frances O'Grady, the new TUC general secretary . Claire Bolderson . BBC . 7 September 2012 . 24 September 2012.
  5. News: Birthday Honours: Adele joins Blackadder stars on list. BBC News . 14 June 2013 . 14 June 2013.