Mark Serwotka

Mark Henryk Serwotkais General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the largest trade union representing British civil servants. He was President of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for 2019.

Early life

Serwotka was adopted by a Polish-born father and a Welsh mother and brought up in Aberdare.

Career

In 1979, aged sixteen, he joined the Civil Service as a benefits clerk, joining the union on his first day. He became a union representative in 1980 and a personal case officer in 1995.

In the 2000 election for General Secretary, he faced two rivals: Hugh Lanning of the Membership First faction and the incumbent Barry Reamsbottom of the National Moderate Group. However, Reamsbottom did not secure the fifty branch nominations needed to appear on the ballot paper. Serwotka then beat Lanning with 41,000 to 33,000 votes. Following Serwotka's election, Reamsbottom refused to step down when his term of office expired, citing what he claimed were legal irregularities in the election process. The dispute was taken to the High Court where Serwotka won and subsequently assumed office.

In 2005, Serwotka was elected unopposed for another term as General Secretary as he was the only candidate with the required 25 branch nominations. In 2009, Serwotka was re-elected for a five-year term, with 37,866 votes to Rob Bryson's 21,883. In 2014, he was elected unopposed for a fourth five-year term.

In the 2000 General Secretary election, Serwotka pledged that if elected he would only accept the equivalent of an average civil servant's wage. Serwotka returns around £8,000 of his annual salary to the union.

Serwotka was elected President of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for 2019, a prominent but largely honorary position.