ATL’s Dr Mary Bousted becomes new TUC President

Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has been elected as the new President of the TUC. She was elected at this morning’s General Council on the final day of the 148th Congress and takes over from UNISON Assistant General Secretary Liz Snape. She will serve in the role for a year, until the 149th Congress in Brighton in 2017.

Mary became General Secretary of the ATL in 2003. She is also an active member of the TUC Executive and General Council. She is committed to adult learning and has chaired the unionlearn – the TUC’s learning and skills organisation – board from 2009 to date. She served for the maximum two terms as a member of the ACAS board, and was Chair of the ACAS audit committee.  

Commenting on her appointment Mary said: “It is a great honour to be elected President of the TUC, an organisation which leads the way in research, campaigns and influence, to improve the lives of working people.

“The challenge for the UK is to create a high-skilled economy with opportunities for all. Teachers and lecturers work every day to improve the life chances of the children and young people in their classrooms. I will make education a key priority of my Presidential year – across all sectors, and including adult skills development which unionlearn has championed so successfully.”