# General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress

The General Secretary of the TUC is the chief permanent officer of the Trades Union Congress, and a major figurehead in the trade union movement in the United Kingdom.
The Secretary is responsible for the effective operation of the TUC and for leading implementation of policies set by the annual Congress and the organisation's General Council. They also serve as the TUC's chief representative, both with the public and with other organisations.
The position was formed in 1921, when the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC became the General Council. The position of Secretary has been a permanent, full-time position in the TUC since 1904. Before that, the Secretary was elected annually at Congress.
Between January 2013 and December 2022, the incumbent position was held by Frances O'Grady, the first woman to hold the post. O'Grady was succeeded by the current General Secretary, Paul Nowak – the Deputy General Secretary during O'Grady's leadership – on 29 December 2022.

## Secretaries of the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC

* William Henry Wood (1868–1869)
* George Potter (1869–1872)
* George Odger (1872–1873)
* George Howell (1873–1876)
* Henry Broadhurst (1876–1885)
* George Shipton (1885–1886)
* Henry Broadhurst (1886–1890)
* Charles Fenwick (1890–1894)
* Sam Woods (1894–1905)
* W. C. Steadman (1905–1911)
* C. W. Bowerman (1911–1921)

## General Secretaries of the TUC
### Status

| Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Honour(s) |
| C. W. Bowerman (1851–1947) | 10 September 1921 | 8 September 1923 | |
| Fred Bramley (1874–1925) | 8 September 1923 | 10 October 1925 (Died in Office) | |
| Walter Citrine (1887–1983) | 10 October 1925 | 11 September 1926 | Knighted in 1935 Baron Citrine in 1946 |
| Walter Citrine (1887–1983) | 11 September 1926 | 21 October 1946 | Knighted in 1935 Baron Citrine in 1946 |
| Vincent Tewson (1898–1981) | 21 October 1946 | 6 September 1960 | Knighted in 1950 |
| George Woodcock (1904–1979) | 6 September 1960 | 26 February 1969 | |
| Vic Feather (1908–1976) | 26 February 1969 | 2 September 1969 | Baron Feather for Life in 1974 |
| Vic Feather (1908–1976) | 2 September 1969 | 7 September 1973 | Baron Feather for Life in 1974 |
| Len Murray (1922–2004) | 7 September 1973 | 7 September 1984 | Baron Murray of Epping Forest for Life in 1975 |
| Norman Willis (1933–2014) | 7 September 1984 | 10 September 1993 | |
| John Monks (1945–) | 10 September 1993 | 29 May 2003 | Baron Monks for Life in 2010 |
| Brendan Barber (1951–) | 29 May 2003 | 31 December 2012 | Knighted in 2013 Brendan Barber, Baron Barber of Ainsdale for life in 2025 |
| Frances O'Grady (1959–) | 1 January 2013 | 29 December 2022 | Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway for Life in 2022 |
| Paul Nowak (1972–) | 29 December 2022 | Present | |

## Deputy General Secretaries of the TUC

    1977: Norman Willis
    1985: Kenneth Graham
    1987: John Monks
    1993: Brendan Barber
    2003: Frances O'Grady
    2013: Post vacant
    2016: Paul Nowak
    2022: Post vacant

## Assistant General Secretaries of the TUC

    1917: Fred Bramley
    1924: Walter Citrine
    1926: Alec Firth
    1931: Vincent Tewson
    1947: George Woodcock
    1960: Vic Feather
    1969: Len Murray
    1973: Norman Willis
    1978: Kenneth Graham and David Lea
    1985: Roy Jackson and David Lea
    1992: David Lea
    1999: Post vacant
    2003: Kay Carberry
    2013: Kay Carberry and Paul Nowak
    2016: Post vacant
    2022: Kate Bell