Women now run two largest trade unions in the country

Women now run both of the largest two trade unions in the country, following the stunning victory by Sharon Graham in the election to lead general union Unite.

As Labour Research went to press, Unite announced that Graham, the union’s executive officer for organising and leverage, had won the three-cornered race, becoming the first female general secretary of the 1.2 million-member union.

She took 37.7% of the vote, beating Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner, who had been closest to a “continuity candidate”, as well as the man viewed by many as the “right-wing” option, former regional secretary Gerard Coyne.

Graham takes her place in the upper echelons of the UK trade union movement less than a year after Christina McAnea became general secretary of the UNISON public services union. The two unions between them account for over four in 10 trade union members.

Graham had styled herself as the “workplace candidate”, concentrating her efforts on the immediate needs of members and potential members rather than on influencing the Labour Party.

She said her priorities were to stop any planned union subscription increases, freeze them for 12 months and limit any increases to once every two years.

She succeeds retiring Len McCluskey and takes up the post with immediate effect.