Our Assistant General Secretary, Steve Turner, has announced to comrades across Unite, that for him it is time to move on. Steve has been a huge figure, not only within our union, but across the whole of the labour and trade union movement – nationally and internationally. His contribution on so many levels has been without parallel.
Steve came into one of our predecessor unions, the T&G, as a London bus worker and at a very tender age, was elected as shop steward to represent hundreds of members in his garage. This solid industrial experience in a tough working environment, provided the foundation for the decades of leadership, skilful negotiating and organising prowess that Steve gave to thousands of Unite members.
As a Regional Officer in Ford at Dagenham, in Passenger, Construction and the Markets he quickly became an inspiring and motivational leader – and a serious thorn in the side of the right-wing regional administration of the time! As the union moved in a left direction, Steve’s organising skills were recognised and he was promoted into the national arena. As well as assuming National Officer roles in the Docks, Road Transport, Civil Air Transport and Aerospace, he helped Tony Woodley and Jack Dromey establish the T&G’s organising department, leading on the sectoral parcel delivery companies’ campaign which delivered historically high pay rises and membership growth.
In recent years as Assistant General Secretary, he has overseen our manufacturing sectors, negotiating with some of the UK’s biggest employers and commanding the respect of stewards and fellow officers wherever he has gone.
But Steve has always been much more than a highly effective, motivational and professional industrial Officer. He is an internationalist, with strong links across the industrial globe and he has never let up for a minute on his support for those in Columbia, Palestine and Cuba fighting for freedom and self-determination. His bold stand against fascism and racism, manifesting itself in the leadership of our union’s “Unity over Division” campaign, is legendary throughout the working-class movement, as is his passionate support for decent social and council housing for working people. His warmth, his humour, his integrity and his ability to remain close to his roots and the members he has always fought for, is what marks him out. Above all Steve showed the admirable and necessary qualities of true leadership in that he has not a trace of narcissism or self-seeking. The members always come first.
Many of us on the left of our union consider Steve to be the “greatest General Secretary we never had”. For Steve, the union has been his life for the last 42 years. We will remember him in his many roles during this time as a true socialist fighter, a friend and comrade – and critically we know he will do everything possible to support those who want to see this union reunite and regain its position and influence at the helm of our movement.
Now more than ever Steve’s leadership qualities are needed. We wish him well in any future projects he leads defending workers’ rights.