The GMB is a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

(NHS), ambulance service and local government.

Structural history

GMB originates from a series of mergers, beginning when the

National Amalgamated Union of Labour The National Amalgamated Union of Labour (NAUL) was a general union in the United Kingdom. History The trade union was founded in Feb 1889 as the United Tyne and District Labourers Association and in March 1889 the Amalgamated Society of Shipyar ...

(NAUL),

National Union of General Workers The National Union of General Workers is the name of: * National Union of General Workers (Sohyo), a former trade union in Japan * National Union of General Workers (Zenrokyo) The National Union of General Workers (NUGW) is the shortened, Engl ...

(NUGW) and the

Municipal Employees Association The Municipal Employees' Association was a trade union representing local government workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1888 as the London County Council Employees' Protection Association, to represent workers at the London ...

(MEA) in 1924 joined into a new union, named the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW). Although the new union was one of the largest in the country it grew relatively slowly over the following decades; this changed in the 1970s when

David Basnett David Basnett, Baron Basnett (9 February 1924 – 25 January 1989) was a British trade union leader. Born in Liverpool, Basnett studied at Quarry Bank High School before becoming a bank clerk. He served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force dur ...

created new sections for staff, and hotel and catering workers, and changed the union's name to the General and Municipal Workers' Union (GMWU) in 1974. In 1982, following a merger with the

Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers The Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (ASB) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. Many of its members worked in shipbuilding, in which industry it was the leading trade union, while over tim ...

(ASBSBSW), the union was renamed the General, Municipal, Boilermakers' and Allied Trade Union (GMBATU). This was sometimes shortened to "GMB", which in 1987 became the official name of the union. For several years following the highly contested merger

boilermaker A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dep ...

members retained a distinct identity in GMB's Craft Section. The union has absorbed the following smaller unions: *1924:

Chatham Government Labourers' Union Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswi ...

St Helens Sheet Glass Flatteners' Trade Protection Society ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

*1929:

Cumberland Iron Ore Miners and Kindred Trades Association The Cumberland Iron Ore Miners' and Kindred Trades' Association was a trade union, principally representing iron ore miners in the Cumberland area of North West England. History Although there were some attempts among iron ore miners in Cumberlan ...

*1931:

Cleveland Ironstone Quarrymens' Association Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

North Yorkshire and Cleveland Miners' Association The Cleveland Miners' and Quarrymen's Association was a trade union representing ironstone miners in the Cleveland area of England. The union was founded in 1872 as the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Miners and Quarrymen's Association by Joseph ...

*1933:

Saw Grinders Trades Protection Society of Sheffield A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mov ...

*1934:

Amalgamated National Union of Quarryworkers and Settmakers The Amalgamated National Union of Quarryworkers and Settmakers (ANUQ&S) was a trade union representing quarry workers in Britain and the Channel Islands. The union was founded in 1914, when the National Union of Quarrymen merged with the Settmake ...

*1935:

Southern Counties Agricultural and Rural Workers Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, ...

*1936:

National Society of Woolcombers and Allied Trades National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Welsh Artisans' United Association Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

*1938:

Saw Handle Makers' Trade Society of Sheffield A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mov ...

*1946:

Aircraft Inspectors' Association An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines. ...

, National Edge Tool Trade Society * GMB Union banner at a demonstration in 2018

1955:

South Durham and North Yorkshire Salt Makers' Union South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

*1957:

National Cutlery Union The National Cutlery Union was a trade union representing workers involved in the manufacture of cutlery in the United Kingdom, particularly in Sheffield. The union originated in 1914 when the Table and Butcher Knife Hafters' Trade and Provide ...

*1958:

British Airways Administrative Staffs Association British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

*1962: Elastic Web Weavers' Union *1964: Amalgamated Union of File Trades, Ulster Transport and Allied Operatives Union *1965: Stoke Prior Salt Makers', Mechanics' and General Labourers' Union *1966:

HM Stationery Staff Machine Association HM or hm may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''HM'' (magazine), a Christian hard rock magazine * Hidden Machine, a type of item in Pokémon Businesses * H&M, a Swedish clothing company * Hindustan Motors, an automobile manufacturer of India * ...

*1968:

Scottish Metal Workers' Union The General Iron Fitters' Association was a trade union representing stove dressers in Scotland, particularly in the Falkirk area. The union was founded in 1892, when it was named the Associated Society of Range, Stove and Ornamental Workers. Init ...

, Scottish Operative Glaziers' Society, Wool, Yarn and Warehouse Workers' Union *1969:

Union of Salt, Chemical and Industrial General Workers Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

, Winsford Salt Makers *1972:

Manchester Warehouse Employees Association Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...

, National Union of Waterworks Employees *1974:

BSR Staff Association BSR may refer to: * Backslash-R, a class of options in Perl Compatible Regular Expressions * Basrah International Airport, IATA code * Vasai Road railway station, Mumbai, India, station code * Birmingham Sound Reproducers or BSR McDonald, a former ...

, National Pen Workers' Federation, United Rubber, Plastic and Allied Workers' Union *1975: Scottish Football Players' Union *1979:

Coopers and Allied Workers' Federation of Great Britain The Coopers' Federation of Great Britain was a trade union representing coopers in the United Kingdom and, initially, also in Ireland. The union was founded in 1926 as the Coopers' Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. It brought together fiv ...

*1982:

, Northern Ireland Professional Footballers' Association *1983: Scottish Lace and Textile Workers' Union *1986:

Amalgamated Textile Warehouse Operatives The Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen's Association was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in the United Kingdom, principally in Lancashire. The union was founded in 1894 as the Amalgamated Society of Clothlookers and War ...

(two branches), Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (plus eight affiliates) *1988:

Greater London Staff Association The Greater London Council Staff Association (GLCSA) was a trade union representing workers for the London-wide council. The union was founded in 1909 as the London County Council Staff Association, to represent clerical, technical and professi ...

*1989:

Association of Professional, Executive and Computer Staff The Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff (APEX) was a British trade union which represented clerical and administrative employees. History The Clerks Union was formed in 1890 and later was renamed as the Nationa ...

, Association of Professional Music Therapists *1990: Legal Aid Staff Association,

National Union of Labour Organisers National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

*1991:

Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union The Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union (FTAT) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. History The union was founded in 1971 by the merger of the National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives (NUFTO) and the Amalgamated Society of Woodcu ...

National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

*1998: British Gas Managers' Association *2000: Managerial and Professional Officers *2002:

International Union of Sex Workers The International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW) is a United Kingdom-based trade union for sex workers. It campaigns for the decriminalisation of prostitution, and to have sex work acknowledged as viable labour. In 2002, members voted to affiliate wi ...

*2007: General Union of Loom Overlookers *2008: Ambulance Service Union *2010:

Community and District Nursing Association The Community and District Nursing Association (CDNA) was a trade union representing nurses and healthcare assistants in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1939 as the District Nursing Association. In 1971, it was renamed as the "Commu ...

*2015:

Unity Unity may refer to: Buildings * Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building * Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper * Unity Buildings, Liverpool, UK; two buildings in England * Unity Chapel, Wyoming, Wisconsin, US; a h ...

In 1992, the GMB for the first time allocated all of its members to one of eight industrial sections: clothing and textiles; commercial services; construction, furniture and allied; energy and utilities; engineering; food and leisure; process; and public services.Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.5, pp.438-440, 486-488 The GMB's sections were rationalised in 2006, with the union since then consisting of GMB Commercial Services, GMB Manufacturing, and GMB Public Services.

Thorne Credit Union

Thorne Credit Union Limited is a savings and loans

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

established by the trade union for its members in 1998. Trading as TCU Money, it began life as GMB Lancashire Region Credit Union and was rolled out nationwide in 2000. TCU is named after

Will Thorne William James Thorne CBE (4 October 1857 – 2 January 1946) was a British trade unionist, activist and one of the first Labour Members of Parliament. Early years Thorne was born in Hockley, Birmingham, on 8 October 1857. His father and othe ...

, founder of NUGW forerunner, the

National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers The National Union of General Workers (NUGW) was an early general union in the United Kingdom, the most important general union of its era. History The union was founded in 1889 as the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers by Will ...

and one of the first

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

. The

credit union A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit organization, nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including depo ...

is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the

Financial Conduct Authority The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a financial regulation, financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom, but operates independently of the UK Government, and is financed by charging fees to members of the financial services industry. The ...

and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members' savings are protected against business failure by the

Financial Services Compensation Scheme The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is the UK's statutory deposit insurance and investors compensation scheme for customers of authorised financial services firms. This means that FSCS can pay compensation if a firm is unable, or li ...

Landmark Uber employment tribunal case

On 28 October 2016, in a landmark ruling if not overturned on appeal, the Central London Employment Tribunal ruled that

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...

drivers are "workers" entitled to the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...

, paid holiday, sick leave and other normal worker entitlements, rather than

self-employed Self-employment is the state of working for oneself rather than an employer. Tax authorities will generally view a person as self-employed if the person chooses to be recognised as such or if the person is generating income for which a tax return n ...

. Two Uber drivers had brought the case to the employment tribunal with the assistance of the

GMB Union The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (N ...

on 20 July 2016, as a test case on behalf of a group of 19 drivers. As a consequence,

The Pensions Regulator The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is a non-departmental public body which regulates work-based pension schemes in the United Kingdom. Created under the Pensions Act 2004, the regulator replaced the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) fro ...

is considering if the ruling obliges Uber to create a workplace pension scheme. The ruling could have implications wider than just Uber, throughout the so-called

gig economy Gig workers are independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers, and temporary workers. Gig workers enter into formal agreements with on-demand companies to provide services to the company's clients. In m ...

. On 10 November 2017 the

Employment Appeal Tribunal The Employment Appeal Tribunal is a tribunal in England and Wales and Scotland, and is a superior court of record. Its primary role is to hear appeals from Employment Tribunals in England, Scotland and Wales. It also hears appeals from decisions ...

upheld the first tribunal's ruling. Uber indicated that it would appeal further. The law firm

Leigh Day Martyn Day is a British solicitor specializing in international, environmental and product liability claims who founded – and is the Senior Partner of – the law firm Leigh Day. He was a director of Greenpeace Environmental Trust, having st ...

started the legal action against Uber on behalf of 25 members of the GMB union, which initially included J. Farrar and Y. Aslam, although the two pursued this latest case with a different union, the

Independent Worker's Union of Great Britain The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. The IWGB comprises eleven branches which organise workers within their chosen industry, run their own campaigns and have their own representative off ...

. On 10 February 2017 a similar case involving

Pimlico Plumbers Pimlico Plumbers is a London-based plumbing firm established in 1979. With revenues of £20m as of 2015, it is London's largest independent plumbing company. Establishment Pimlico Plumbers was established in 1979 by its current managing direct ...

was confirmed at the

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

. A worker who had suffered a heart attack was found to have been unfairly or wrongfully dismissed. Another similar case against parcel delivery company

Hermes Group Hermes Europe GmbH is a German delivery company headquartered in Hamburg, owned by the retail company Otto GmbH. History The company was founded in 1972 in West Germany and entered the market in East Germany in 1990. It expanded to France in ...

, supported by the GMB through lawyers Leigh Day, had a similar outcome at an employment tribunal in Leeds on 25 June 2018. Hermes are considering an appeal. The GMB stated the ruling was likely to affect 14,500 Hermes couriers. General Secretary, Tim Roache, described it as:

Political activity

GMB is one of the three largest affiliates to the Labour Party. It is a significant financial contributor to the Party's national and local organisation. GMB gives Labour up to £2m a year in affiliation fees and other funds, making it the third largest union donor to the party. In 1991, GMB was the first British trade union to set up an office in Brussels and has been particularly engaged in seeking to influence

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

legislation that sets minimum standards for workers and for health and safety across the EU single market. In 2008, GMB Congress voted to withdraw local funding from around a third of the 108 Labour MPs whose constituencies received support from GMB, due to the perception that some MPs within the party were treating workers with "contempt" and generally not working in the interests of the working class and GMB members. Despite this the Congress opposed disaffiliation from the party. In the 2010 Labour Leadership Election, GMB endorsed

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel "Ed" Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero since 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North since 2005. Miliband ...

over his competitor and brother

David Miliband David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the International Rescue Committee and a former British Labour Party politician. He was the Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010 and the Member of P ...

. In 2013, GMB announced it was cutting its affiliation fund from £1.2m to £150,000 by reducing the number of members it affiliates from 420,000 to 50,000. In 2013, GMB Congress, the lay member ruling body, adopted a 14-point plan to encourage GMB members to become active in the Labour Party and to stand as Labour candidates for public office (Parliament and local government). GMB has two representatives on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party, Mary Turner and Cath Speight. In Ireland, GMB is affiliated to the Irish Labour Party. While in the 2015 Labour leadership election GMB didn't endorse a candidate, in the 2016 Labour leadership election, the union endorsed

Owen Smith Owen Smith (born 2 May 1970) is a former Labour Party politician and subsequently a British lobbyist, who has been the UK government relations director for pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb since 2020. Smith was Member of Parliamen ...

against incumbent leader

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the political left of the Labour Party, Corbyn describes himself as a socialist ...

. Under

's leadership of the Labour Party, the GMB clashed with the party over the issues of Trident renewal and

fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...

, both of which are opposed by Corbyn. In the 2020 Labour leadership election, the GMB endorsed

Lisa Nandy Lisa Eva Nandy (born 9 August 1979) is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities since 2021. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Wigan since 2010. N ...

, who subsequently finished last in the final round of voting.

Leadership

The GMB is led by a general secretary and treasurer. In 2005 Paul Kenny was appointed the acting general secretary, in place of Kevin Curran who stepped down after being suspended on full pay during an inquiry into ballot-rigging during the union's leadership election. The episode was seen as a power struggle between the national office and powerful regional heads, led by Kenny, who opposed centralisation. Kenny had lost the 2003 vote to Curran. In May 2006, Kenny was elected unopposed as general secretary.

Tim Roache Timothy John Roache (born 6 April 1962) is a British trade unionist who served as General Secretary of the GMB union from 2016 to 2020. Union career Roache was born on 6 April 1962 and grew up in London, where his father was a shop steward on th ...

was elected as general secretary and treasurer in November 2015, receiving 56.7% of the vote on a turnout of 4.2%, beating the one other candidate, Paul McCarthy. Roache took up the post in 2016, but resigned in April 2020 after allegations of harassment.

General Secretaries

:1924:

:1934: Charles Dukes :1946: Tom Williamson :1962: Jack Cooper :1973:

:1986: John Edmonds :2003:

Kevin Curran Kevin Curran may refer to: * Kevin Curran (cricketer) (1959–2012), Zimbabwean cricketer * Kevin Curran (cricketer, born 1928) (1928–2017), Zimbabwean cricketer * Kevin Curran (footballer, born 1919) (1919–1986), Australian rules footballer ...

:2005: Paul Kenny :2016:

:2021: Gary Smith

Deputy General Secretaries

This post was known as "assistant general secretary" until 1935. :1924:

Peter Tevenan Peter Joseph Tevenan (20 June 1857 – 11 April 1943) was an Irish-British trade unionist and politician. Born in County Galway, Tevenan moved with his family to Liverpool when he was a young child. The family then settled in Chesterfield, Derb ...

and Ralph Spence :1933: Ralph Spence :1935: ''Post abolished'' :1991:

Tom Burlison Thomas Henry Burlison, Baron Burlison, DL (23 May 1936 – 20 May 2008) was a British footballer, GMB trade unionist and Treasurer of the Labour Party. He was the first professional footballer to take a seat in the House of Lords. Burlison ...

:1996: Steve Pickering :2003: Debbie Coulter :2008: ''Post vacant''

Presidents

This position was known as "Chair of the Executive" or "National Chairman" from 1938 until the early 1990s. :1924: J. R. Clynes :1938: Fred Marshall :1946:

Thomas William Kerry Thomas William Kerry (3 June 1883 – 13 October 1967) was a British trade unionist, who served as chair of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW). Kerry was born in Norfolk on 2 June 1883. first began union activity when he ...

:1949:

William E. Hopkin William Edward Hopkin (28 January 1888 – 23 September 1953) was a Welsh trade union leader. Hopkin became active in the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers, and began working full-time for the union in 1911. He served with the ...

:1952: Jack Cooper :1962:

Bernard Swindell Bernard Hopkinson Swindell (27 March 1901 – 23 July 1968) was a British trade unionist, who served as chairman of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW). Swindell was born in Tideswell, Derbyshire on 27 March 1901 as one of ...

:1964: Charles Smith :1970:

Alex M. Donnet Alexander Mitchell Donnet, Baron Donnet of Balgay (26 June 1916 – 14 May 1985) was a Scottish trade unionist. Donnet grew up in Dundee, where he attended the Harris Academy. He joined the National Union of General and Municipal Workers in 1935 ...

:1976: Derek Gladwin :1982:

Dick Pickering Richard Pickering (22 September 1942 – 10 October 1996) was a British trade union leader. Born in Manchester on 22 September 1942, Pickering became active in the local Labour Party and in the National Union of General and Municipal Workers.Keit ...

:1987: James Morrell :1988: Olga Mean :1992: Dick Pickering :1997: Mary Turner :2018: Barbara Plant

2020 internal inquiry

In 2020, following the resignation of general secretary

and subsequently receiving anonymous allegations, the union conducted a barrister-led internal inquiry. This concluded that bullying, misogyny, cronyism and sexual harassment were "endemic" within the union. More specifically the report stated "The GMB is institutionally sexist. The General Secretaries and all regional secretaries are, and always have been, men. Women are underrepresented throughout the GMB’s ranks", concluding that culture must change for the GMB to become a safe and rewarding place for women. The report made 27 recommendations for change, on which the union's National President, Barbara Plant, promised to act.

Sports sponsorship

The GMB sponsors the

Nottingham Panthers The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Their main team sponsor is the Nottingham Building Society. The Nottingham Panthers have won four ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team and the

Castleford Tigers The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England, that compete in the Super League, the top-level professional rugby league club competition in the Northern Hemisphere. The club have competed i ...

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

team. Until May 2011 it sponsored Swindon Town Football Club, but when

Paolo Di Canio Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a forward. He primarily played as a deep-lying forward ...

was appointed manager the GMB terminated the relationship because of Di Canio's political views. A GMB spokesman said: "He has openly voiced support for Mussolini so it beggars belief that Swindon could have appointed him, especially given the multi-ethnic nature of the team and the town." The union sponsored

Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...

for the 2013–14 football season.

References

External links

*
Thorne Credit UnionGMB family tree
on th
Trade Union Ancestors
website
Catalogue of the NUGMW archives
held at the

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the specialist archive service of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, located adjacent to the Central Campus Library. It was established in October 1973 and holds the world's largest archive collecti ...

* https://www.google.com/business/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Gmb (Trade Union) 1924 establishments in the United Kingdom Credit unions of the United Kingdom General unions Organisations based in the London Borough of Camden Trade unions established in 1924 Trade unions in the United Kingdom Trade unions affiliated with the Labour Party (UK) Trade unions based in London Trade unions affiliated with the Trades Union Congress