Brendan Barber
Brendan Paul Barber, Baron Barber of Ainsdale, is a British trade union official and life peer. He served as chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Council until 2020. He is a former general secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress ; 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, the Board of Transport for London, the board of Britain Stronger in Europe, the Council of City University, London and the board of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Early life and education
Barber was born on 3 April 1951 in Southport, Lancashire, and educated at St Mary's College, Sefton. Between school and university, he spent a year with VSO teaching in the Volta Region of Ghana. At City, University of London, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences in 1974, then spent the next year as the president of the students' union.Career
He spent a year as a researcher for the Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products Industry Training Board based in Harrow.Trades Union Congress
In 1975. he began working at the TUC 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.
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. Frances O'Grady was elected his successor.