The first woman to take her place in the TUC’s 154-year history, she said it was the greatest honor of her life and a privilege to serve the trade union movement during a tumultuous decade for workers in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. O’Grady has been the general secretary of the TUC, the umbrella group of the UK trade union movement, since January 2013. At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, she played a key role alongside Carolyn Fairbairn, then head of the CBI, the business lobby group , in drawing up the permit regime with Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. Subscribe to the Business Email daily email or follow the Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk O’Grady said: “Trade unions are a force for good in British society. I’m proud of what we have achieved during the pandemic – from securing leave to keeping people safe at work, defending equality and maintaining the functioning of vital services. “And I’m proud of the work we do every day to protect workers’ jobs, wages, rights and working conditions.” She said she was happy to resign at a time when unions are increasing their membership as the movement struggles to improve working standards amid pressure on living costs. “The last decade has been turbulent, with three general elections, two anti-union bills, an EU referendum and a pandemic to tackle,” he said. “But in any case, the unions responded to the challenge and fought for the workers.”
