Tony Dubbins was a prominent British trade unionist until his retirement from Unite in 2008.

Tony Dubbins
Personal details
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
OccupationTrade unionist

He first became a full-time union official in the National Graphical Association and became general secretary in 1984, leading the union through the Wapping dispute.

The NGA merged with the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades in 1990. Dubbins won the subsequent election against Brenda Dean, SOGAT's General Secretary, to become the first, and only, general secretary of the Graphical, Paper and Media Union.

Following the GPMU's merger with Amicus in 2004, he became Deputy General Secretary. Amicus then merged with the Transport & General Workers Union in May 2007 to form Unite.

He was president of the Trades Union Congress in 1997.

Between 2003 and 2008 he was chairman of the Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation. During this period he delivered the groundbreaking Warwick Agreement, ensuring every employee was entitled to 20 days paid holiday and maternity leave was increased to nine months. He led the campaign to ensure employment rights for Agency and Temporary Workers.

References

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Trade union offices
Preceded by General Secretary of National Graphical Association
1984–1991
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by
New position
General Secretary of Graphical, Paper and Media Union
1991–2005
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by
Lucy Anderson and Ed Sweeney
Deputy General Secretary of Amicus
2005–2007
With: Ed Sweeney (2005 – 2007)
Graham Goddard (2006 – 2007)
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by President of the Trades Union Congress
1997
Succeeded by