Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, is 62 years old. He has been a trade union member for 45 years, having joined the Transport and General Workers Union upon starting work on the Liverpool docks.While working on the docks he held a series of union positions, including Branch Chair, Branch Secretary and Senior Shop Steward.

In 1979 Mr McCluskey was appointed a T&G District Officer in Merseyside, subsequently becoming District Secretary. He has been a Labour Party member since 1970, holding numerous positions including Constituency Chair.

In 1990 Mr McCluskey was appointed National Secretary of the General Workers’ Trade Group in the T&G. As such he was lead negotiator for thousands of members in building supply industries, paper and print, contract cleaning and many other industries. For several years he also had responsibility for the Union’s white collar membership.

In 2004 Mr McCluskey was named National Organiser with responsibility for the service sector and the next year was appointed Assistant General Secretary for industrial strategy in the T&G.

He played a leading part in the negotiations that led to the formation of Unite through a merger of the T&G and Amicus in 2007. He became a Unite Assistant General Secretary and was heavily involved in industrial negotiations and campaigns, including disputes in the oil tanker industry and at British Airways. He is also a member of the TUC General Council and its Executive Committee.

He was elected as Unite’s first General Secretary in a ballot of the membership in November 2010.