General Council Report 2026
Nigel de Gruchy, who died in November, was general secretary of the NASUWT from 1990 to 2002. A member of the TUC General Council from 1989 to 2002, he also served as TUC President in 2002-03. He served on the NASUWT executive, before becoming assistant secretary, and subsequently being elected as deputy general secretary and general secretary. One of the most prominent trade unionists of his generation, Nigel de Gruchy was a tireless champion of teachers and education. A shrewd user of ‘pupil-friendly’ industrial action to win disputes, he oversaw a significant increase in NASUWT membership during his time as general secretary.
Dr Paul Donaldson, who died in November, was general secretary of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) from 2020 until his retirement in 2025. Prior to this, he worked as a consultant microbiologist for over two decades. Respected by members and staff, as well as the wider medical profession, he was a principled and determined champion of the NHS and everyone who worked in it. A firm advocate for better terms and conditions for hospital doctors, under his leadership HCSA members took industrial action over pay during the national NHS disputes in 2022/23. A regular speaker at Congress and participant at TUC events, including our right to strike demonstration in Cheltenham, he provided invaluable advice to unions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bob Purkiss, who died in June, was a pioneering trade unionist who led the movement’s fight against racism. A TGWU full-time official for over 25 years, he served on the TUC General Council from 1994 to 1999 as the first black members’ representative. After working as TGWU regional education officer for southern England, he became the union’s national secretary for race equality, serving as a trade union commissioner on the Commission for Racial Equality before being appointed chair of the European Monitoring Centre Against Racism and Xenophobia. He was a member of the TUC’s Stephen Lawrence Task Group and undertook groundbreaking anti-racism work with a range of institutions.
Barbara Taylor, who died in June, was an administrative officer for the North West TUC for over 20 years until her retirement in 2007. A popular and enthusiastic member of the team in our Bootle and Liverpool offices, she made a significant contribution to the TUC’s work in the region, including TUC Education and our pioneering work on learning and skills.
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