Woodley’s switch

Recruitment and organising has received a boost at general union Unite with the appointment of former joint general secretary Tony Woodley as the union’s executive officer for organising.

Woodley stepped down as joint leader in December — a year before he was obliged to go — following the election of new general secretary Len McCluskey. He will work alongside director of organising Sharon Graham for two years until his normal retirement age at the start of 2013 in a move described by McCluskey as “a tremendous shot in the arm for our organising efforts”.

Woodley will focus particularly on the union’s 100 percent campaign, which aims to strengthen union density in workplaces already organised by Unite. He will also continue to run the union’s efforts to settle the long-running British Airways dispute.