Who’s who child

Job Title

Tony joined the Post Office in 1978. He joined the Union and almost immediately went onto the local Branch Committee of the Liverpool Counter & Clerical Branch. From there, he became the Assistant Secretary, then the Branch Secretary, then a District Official. In 1990, he was elected as an NEC member. In 1998, he was elected as the Assistant Secretary Postal for the C&CS Dept, until he was elected as SDGS in December 2001; a post he only took up on a substantive basis following the retirement of both Tony Young (SDGS) and David Norman (GT). As the new post is a combination of both those positions, this saves the CWU a substantial amount of money!

Tony is a member of the Labour Party. He is a committed socialist and supporter of a number of organisations that campaign and lobby to make society a better place. He firmly believes in the repeal of anti-trade union legislation. Tony supports the Campaign Against Climate Change and is involved heavily with the TU section of the CCC. He firmly believes that the trade union movement needs to understand and acknowledge that it needs to take a major role in this area of campaigning. He also passionately supports the campaigns Unite Against Fascism, Defend Council Housing and Hands Off Venezuela. He believes that these organisations need to be rank and file campaigning and protesting groups challenging the notion that the market (Capitalist) system is capable of delivering material gains to working class people and their families and to alleviating poverty around the globe; they’re clearly not. When asked, he recommends everybody should read a copy of Mark Lynas’ book Six Degrees and Des Warren’s The Key To My Cell.

Tony’s primary responsibility is to put in place policies and systems that will turn around the finances of the Union.

He is concerned about the role of Women both within the Union and the workplace. Tony says almost 20% of our members are women, yet whilst the basic needs are the same for all workers, i.e. pay and conditions etc, it never ceases to amaze him how the perception of a male dominated union and all the baggage that goes with it still becomes the mindset for the Union as a whole. “We are getting better but we can and will improve.”

Tony is also mindful of the Retired Members. Perhaps the most neglected section of the membership, campaigning for the right for retired members to live in dignity and receive decent health and transport benefits “are issues we need to be pushing on a lot more than we have done.”

Tony believes in complete transparency in just about everything he does as an elected official.

“I want to use my 20 years experience and my commitment, to make the changes that you want from your Union. To listen to you more, to involve you more and to place your ambitions as our agenda.”