New TUC Assistant General Secretary appointed

date: 13 February 2013

embargo: For immediate release

Merseysider Paul Nowak, currently head of the TUC's Organisation and Services Department (OSD), is to take up the newly-created position of Assistant General Secretary.

From today (Wednesday) Paul, 40, becomes the third and final member of the TUC's senior management team, alongside General Secretary Frances O'Grady and Assistant General Secretary Kay Carberry. He will be responsible for a number of key policy areas, inter-union relations, Congress and the regional offices of the TUC. Along with Frances and Kay, Paul will be focusing on taking forward the TUC's campaign priorities and promoting trade unionism.

Paul has been head of OSD - the department responsible for the TUC's regions, public services, organising and recruitment, health and safety, inter-union relations, young workers, and the organisation of the TUC's annual Congress - since July 2009.

Paul was one of the first intake of the TUC's Organising Academy back in 1998, when, aged 26, he worked as an organiser for BIFU, the then banking union, in the South West.

Before joining the TUC, Paul had a variety of jobs as a call centre operator, a hotel night porter and a bus information officer in the transport co-ordination department of Cheshire County Council. He first became a union member when he worked part-time at Asda aged 17, and has been a union rep and activist in the CWU, the GMB and UNISON.

In April 2000 Paul was appointed regional secretary of the Northern TUC where he was responsible for the TUC's work across the North East and Cumbria.

In 2002 he was appointed to lead the TUC's work on organising and recruitment, which included the development of the TUC Organising Academy.

As head of OSD, Paul helped lead the TUC and union campaign to prevent the government's plans for regional and local pay across large parts of the public sector, introduced the Leading Change programme to help enhance the skills of senior figures across the union movement and played a key role supporting unions in their efforts to defend public sector pensions.

Paul was appointed as a member of the ACAS Council in 2011. He also represents the TUC on the Ruskin College Council.

Commenting on his appointment, Paul said: 'The TUC - and its family of unions - represent almost six million people, and day in and day out unions make a real and positive difference in workplaces and communities across the country.

'I'm looking forward to playing my part in building a strong and effective voice for working people and their families, who have been hit so hard by the government's failing austerity programme. A strong, campaigning TUC has a crucial role to play in delivering a better, fairer and more equal Britain.'

Paul is married to Vicky, and has three children. Paul is a lifelong Everton fan, and in his spare time can either be found playing the guitar (badly he says) or walking, cycling and relaxing with his family in North Wales.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- A hi-res image of Paul is available from the press office.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07887 572130 E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk