Northern TUC Regional Secretary appointed as national Head of Organising and Services Department

date: 18^th April 2013

embargo: for immediate release

Northern TUC Regional Secretary appointed as national Head of Organising and Services Department

Northern TUC Regional Secretary, Kevin Rowan has been appointed as the new TUC Head of Organising and Services Department, based in London. He will be beginning his new role effective of Monday 22^nd April.

The responsibilities include Stronger Unions, Regions and Wales, Public Services, transport, Young Workers, Health and Safety and Trades Councils - all of which are clear priorities for the trade union movement moving forward.

New Head of Organising and Services Department, Kevin Rowan said: 'I have been immensely proud to have served as Regional Secretary here. It really is an incredibly strong collective voice and force for working people and trade unions in this area, and is a greatly respected and highly effective organisation. The commitment and unity of trade unions is the major reason why that is the case and I am sincerely and deeply appreciative of that collective endeavour as well as the significant personal support, guidance and encouragement I have had from a wide range of stakeholders in all the time I have been in this post.'

TUC Chair, Gill Hale said: 'The northern region has benefited from a progressive, strategic and dynamic regional TUC under Kevin's leadership for the last ten years. His commitment to developing the region's trade union movement, economy, and influence on all matters to affect working people and their families make him undeniably the right person for the new challenge he is about to embark on. Our loss in the north east and Cumbria is mitigated by what is sure to be collective gain. On behalf of the Northern TUC Executive Committee, and everyone else who has had the pleasure to work with Kevin over the last 10 years, we wish him luck and solidarity in his new role.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Kevin Rowan has been Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC for 10 years, representing some 58 trade unions and four hundred thousand trade union members in the Northern Region.

Kevin began working life in the VSEL shipyard of Barrow in Furness, becoming a trade union representative shortly before his 18^th birthday.

Kevin joined Preston College in 1995 and was part of the team which established the Carlisle Trade Union Education Unit and moved to join GMB Northern as Education and Research Officer in 1997, becoming Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC in July 2002.

Kevin represents the TUC on the Regional Skills Partnership, the Regional ERDF Programme Monitoring Committee and is a board member of NORCARE and Equality North East and a member of the North East Economic Forum.

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Media contacts:

Kevin Rowan T: 0191 227 5565 M: 07766250074 E: krowan@tuc.org.uk