Travelling the world with the Ocean Steam Ship Company - the legendary Blue Funnel Line - was a real eye-opener for the young Tony Woodley when he left school at 15.

The sheer deprivation, poverty and desperation of many people profoundly affected my view of the inequality and unfairness of life, he remembers. What I saw and learned then has remained with me throughout my own working life. I recognised, too, the importance of remembering my roots in a working class, Labour-voting family in Wallasey, Wirral.

Tony now lives in Ellesmere Port, South Wirral, with his wife Janet and their 12-year-old son Christopher.

In January 1967, 19-year-old Tony was back working on dry land at Vauxhall Motors' Ellesmere Port factory where his father George was the full time Works Convenor. Naturally, Tony joined the National Union of Vehicle Builders (NUVB), soon to become part of the T&G.

Elected onto the Branch Committee, he became a Shop Steward, then Deputy Convenor. By the early 1980's Tony was Convenor for the plant, a BDC delegate and member of the VB&A National Committee,

The Labour Party is Tony's only other organisation, and as an active member of the Wallasey Labour Party he worked to deliver for his Wallasey home town its first ever Labour MP, Angela Eagle, who displaced government minister Linda Chalker in a tough contest which drew on the vital support of trade unionists.

T&G chairman Stan Pemberton persuaded Tony to make a successful application for appointment as a full time Union Officer based in our Birkenhead Office.

Rising quickly, he became National Officer for the Vehicle Building and Automotive Group, and was then promoted to National Secretary.

This established him as a high profile chief negotiator for the car industry. His no-nonsense attitude has gained him respect and recognition throughout the trade union and labour movement, with a relationship built on mutual respect with Labour Cabinet Ministers and government departments.

Tony's colleagues among the union's leading negotiators showed confidence in him by electing him as shop steward for T&G National Officers.

He is Chairman of Vauxhall Motors Football Club, a community based organisation supporting teams from the age of six upwards.

An active supporter of the Ellesmere Port Romanian Orphanage Charity, he assists with transportation delivering much needed food and dry goods to the physically and mentally disabled children in Romania.

A committed and hard-working working class representative, Tony has developed to become one of the most respected trade unionists in the UK and Ireland.

Presently he is our Deputy General Secretary.

Membership details: Branch 6/764
Membership number: 5953041
Date of entry: 2.1.1967

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