Brendan Barber | |
|---|---|
 Barber speaking at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally in 2012 | |
| Chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service | |
| Assumed office 2014 | |
| Minister | Vince Cable Sajid Javid Greg Clark Andrea Leadsom Alok Sharma Kwasi Kwarteng Jacob Rees-Mogg |
| Preceded by | Ed Sweeney |
| 10th General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 2003–2012 | |
| Preceded by | John Monks |
| Succeeded by | Frances O'Grady |
| Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress | |
| In office 1993–2003 | |
| Preceded by | John Monks |
| Succeeded by | Frances O'Grady |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 April 1951 Southport, England |
| Alma mater | City University London |
Sir Brendan Paul Barber (born 3 April 1951) is a British trade union official. He served as chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Council until 2020. He is a former general secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress (TUC); a post he held from June 2003 until his retirement at the end of 2012. He was appointed Acas Chair in 2014, replacing Ed Sweeney, who had been in the post since 2007. He also serves on the board of the Banking Standards Board (2015–), the Board of Transport for London (2013–), the board of Britain Stronger in Europe (2015–), the Council of City University, London and the board of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (2014–).
Born in Southport, Lancashire, Barber was educated at St Mary's College, Sefton (then a direct grant grammar school). Between school and university, he spent a year with VSO teaching in the Volta Region of Ghana. At City University London, he earned a BA hons in social sciences in 1974, then spent the next year as the president of the students' union.[1]
He spent a year as a researcher for the Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products Industry Training Board based in Harrow.[1]
In 1975. he began working at the TUC[2] as a policy officer. In 1979, he became the head of the TUC's Press and Information Department. In 1987, he became head of the Organisation and Industrial Relations Department and in 1993 he became deputy general secretary.[1]
He became General Secretary of the TUC in June 2003. On 18 April 2012, he announced his retirement, enabling a successor to be elected in September at Trades Union Congress 2012.[3] Frances O'Grady was elected his successor.[4]
In 2007, Barber was given an Award of Doctor of Science honoris causa by City University London. He was knighted in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to employment relations.[5][6]
He met Mary Gray in the TUC International Dept, and they married. They have two daughters. He supports Everton F.C. and lives in Muswell Hill.[1]
