Matt Wrack
Encyclopedia
Matt Wrack is a British
firefighter
and trade unionist. He was elected General Secretary
of the Fire Brigades Union
in May 2005.
Matt Wrack was born Matthew D Wrack in Manchester on 23 May 1962. He joined the Labour Party Young Socialists
in Salford in 1978 and was a member of Farnworth Constituency Labour Party during the period in which the local MP John Roper
left labour to join the SDP: Social Democratic Party (UK)
. Wrack subsequently moved to London, working for a time in the DHSS before joining the fire service.
Service in the London Fire Brigade
Wrack joined the London Fire Brigade
in 1983 and after training was posted to Silvertown Fire Station in the east London borough of Newham. He rapidly became involved in the Fire Brigades Union and by 1984 he had become a branch secretary of the FBU. Between 1988 and 2005 he served as a member of the FBU London Regional Committee and was Regional Organiser in 2002. In 2004 he was elected Regional Secretary and later Assistant General Secretary
Wrack once served as a firefighter with the former fire minister, Jim Fitzpatrick
MP, at Silvertown
fire station, east London.He subsequently spent most of his fire service career at Kingsland fire station in Hackney
.
Election as FBU general secretary
Matt Wrack ousted incumbent General Secretary Andy Gilchrist on 5 May 2005 after Gilchrist had served just one five-year term. This followed widespread discontent over the settlement reached by Gilchrist with the government that ended the 2002-03 pay dispute. Wrack won 63.9% of the vote (12,883 votes). Wrack is seen as a leftwinger and was formerly involved in the Socialist Party
and Militant Tendency
. He is a potential member of the Awkward Squad
of trade union
leaders, taking a hard line against the government on issues of pay and conditions.
Wrack stood for re-election in 2010 and was challenged by John McGhee, a longstanding ally of former general secretary Andy Gilchrist. Wrack was re-elected. He was elected to the TUC general council in 2006 and has been re-elected since.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
and trade unionist. He was elected General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
of the Fire Brigades Union
Fire Brigades Union
The Fire Brigades Union is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime Firefighters , Retained Duty System and Emergency Control Room staff...
in May 2005.
Matt Wrack was born Matthew D Wrack in Manchester on 23 May 1962. He joined the Labour Party Young Socialists
Labour Party Young Socialists
The Labour Party Young Socialists was the name of the youth section of the British Labour Party from 1965 until 1993. The LPYS was the most successful of the youth sections of the Labour Party in the post war period, at one point having nearly 600 branches and attendances at its national...
in Salford in 1978 and was a member of Farnworth Constituency Labour Party during the period in which the local MP John Roper
John Roper
John Roper may refer to:*John Roper, Baron Roper , British politician*John Roper , former American football linebacker*John Roper , Major League Baseball pitcher...
left labour to join the SDP: Social Democratic Party (UK)
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. Wrack subsequently moved to London, working for a time in the DHSS before joining the fire service.
Service in the London Fire Brigade
Wrack joined the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
in 1983 and after training was posted to Silvertown Fire Station in the east London borough of Newham. He rapidly became involved in the Fire Brigades Union and by 1984 he had become a branch secretary of the FBU. Between 1988 and 2005 he served as a member of the FBU London Regional Committee and was Regional Organiser in 2002. In 2004 he was elected Regional Secretary and later Assistant General Secretary
Wrack once served as a firefighter with the former fire minister, Jim Fitzpatrick
Jim Fitzpatrick (politician)
James Fitzpatrick is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Poplar and Limehouse since the 2010 General Election. From 1997 to the 2010 election he was the member for Poplar and Canning Town...
MP, at Silvertown
Silvertown
Silvertown is an industrialised district on the north bank of the Thames in the London Borough of Newham. It was named after Samuel Winkworth Silver's former rubber factory which opened in 1852, and is now dominated by the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery and the John Knight ABP animal rendering...
fire station, east London.He subsequently spent most of his fire service career at Kingsland fire station in Hackney
Hackney
-Places:* London Borough of Hackney, formed in 1965** Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, formed in 1900 and abolished in 1965** Hackney Central** Hackney Central , a political division of the Council** Hackney Central railway station** Hackney College...
.
Election as FBU general secretary
Matt Wrack ousted incumbent General Secretary Andy Gilchrist on 5 May 2005 after Gilchrist had served just one five-year term. This followed widespread discontent over the settlement reached by Gilchrist with the government that ended the 2002-03 pay dispute. Wrack won 63.9% of the vote (12,883 votes). Wrack is seen as a leftwinger and was formerly involved in the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
and Militant Tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
. He is a potential member of the Awkward Squad
Awkward Squad (trade unions)
The Awkward Squad is an informal grouping of socialist trade unionists in the United Kingdom. The term was given in 2002-3 to those that opposed what they regarded as the economically liberal policies of the ruling New Labour faction of the Labour Party...
of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leaders, taking a hard line against the government on issues of pay and conditions.
Wrack stood for re-election in 2010 and was challenged by John McGhee, a longstanding ally of former general secretary Andy Gilchrist. Wrack was re-elected. He was elected to the TUC general council in 2006 and has been re-elected since.
External links
- FBU press release on Wrack's election
- Interview with Matt Wrack in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...