:Mark Serwotka

Serwotka was adopted by a Polish-born father and a Welsh mother and brought up in Aberdare.{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/07/24/union-boss-mark-serwotka-hits-out-at-fat-cat-claims-over-86-000-salary-91466-29103753|work=Wales Online|date=24 July 2011|title=Union boss Mark Serwotka hits out at 'fat cat' claims over £86,000 salary}}

In 1979, aged sixteen, he joined the Civil Service as a benefits clerk, joining the union on his first day.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8288011/Union-talks-the-key-players.html|title=Union talks: the key players|author=Andy Bloxham|website=The Telegraph|date=28 January 2011|access-date=13 March 2018}} He became a union representative in 1980 and a personal case officer in 1995.{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/s/22492/Mark%20Henryk+SERWOTKA.aspx|title=Mark Serwotka|publisher=Debretts|accessdate=31 March 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830132131/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/s/22492/Mark%20Henryk+SERWOTKA.aspx|archivedate=30 August 2012}}

In the 2000 election for General Secretary, he faced two rivals: Hugh Lanning of the Membership First faction and the incumbent Barry Reamsbottom of the National Moderate Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.labournet.net/ukunion/0207/pcs6.html|title=PCS Conspiracy Flashback: TUCETU, IRIS, and TRUEMID|date=18 July 2002|first=David|last=Osler}} However, Reamsbottom did not secure the fifty branch nominations needed to appear on the ballot paper. Serwotka then beat Lanning with 41,000 to 33,000 votes.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/29/politicalcolumnists.comment|location=London, UK|work=The Guardian|first=Paul|last=Foot|authorlink=Paul Foot (journalist)|title=Hard to say goodbye|date=29 May 2002}} Following Serwotka's election, Reamsbottom refused to step down when his term of office expired, citing what he claimed were legal irregularities in the election process.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/may/24/politics.tradeunions|location=London, UK|work=The Guardian|first=Kevin|last=Maguire|title=Union leader refuses to quit|date=24 May 2002}} The dispute was taken to the High Court where Serwotka won and subsequently assumed office.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2164504.stm|work=BBC News|title=Left-winger wins union court battle|date=31 July 2002}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pflcpsa.com/barry_court.htm|title=Case No: HC 02CO1433 Neutral Citation Number: [2002] EWHC 1642 Ch In the High Court of Justice Chancery Division|date=31 July 2002|accessdate=18 April 2013}}

In 2005, Serwotka was elected unopposed for another term as General Secretary as he was the only candidate with the required 25 branch nominations. In 2009, Serwotka was re-elected for a five-year term, with 37,866 votes to Rob Bryson's 21,883.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/B3BEC3CB-AEBB-4FA3-90C68F8D5DC28DC8|title=Mark Serwotka re-elected|publisher=PCS News centre|date=17 December 2009|accessdate=31 March 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114065030/http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/B3BEC3CB-AEBB-4FA3-90C68F8D5DC28DC8|archivedate=14 January 2010}} In 2014, he was elected unopposed for a fourth five-year term.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/mark-serwotka-re-elected-unopposed|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150103182606/http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/mark-serwotka-re-elected-unopposed|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 January 2015|title=Mark Serwotka re-elected unopposed|publisher=PCS News centre|date=23 October 2014|accessdate=3 January 2015}}

In the 2000 General Secretary election, Serwotka pledged that if elected he would only accept the equivalent of an average civil servant's wage. Serwotka returns around £8,000 of his annual salary to the union.

Serwotka was elected President of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for 2019, a prominent but largely honorary position.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/mark%C2%A0serwotka%C2%A0becomes-tuc-president%C2%A0|title=Mark Serwotka becomes TUC President | TUC}}

In May 2023, Serwotka announced his intention to retire after 24 years, with his tenure ending at the end of January 2024 after the election of Fran Heathcote as his replacement.

Serwotka was a member of Socialist Organiser in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was later a supporter of the Socialist Alliance and then Respect.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4197262.stm|work=BBC News|title=Key players in the union movement|date=5 September 2007}}

In February 2013, he was among those who gave their support to the People's Assembly in a letter published by The Guardian newspaper.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/feb/05/people-assembly-against-austerity|title=People's Assembly Against Austerity|date=5 February 2013|work=The Guardian}}

He attempted to vote in the 2015 Labour Leadership Election, but was among those who had their vote rejected by the party.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34060453 | work=BBC News | title=Labour leadership: Mark Serwotka of PCS union has vote rejected | date=26 August 2015}} In March 2016, he rejoined the Labour Party after being expelled from it over 25 years earlier.{{cite news |last=Waugh|first=Paul|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/03/02/trade-union-leaders-mark-_n_9368740.html|title=Jeremy Corbyn Allies Mark Serwotka And Matt Wrack Have Been Readmitted to the Labour Party, HuffPostUK Reveals|work=The Huffington Post|date=2 March 2016|accessdate=15 July 2017}} He wrote in The Huffington Post: "Jeremy [Corbyn] is the first Labour leader in a generation who unequivocally supports the unions and his opposition to the trade union bill has been crucial." He added "I have joined to support Jeremy in transforming the party. And I want as many people as possible to join Labour, and to get involved in the fight against cuts where they live. This is our chance to build a social movement and form a government that can offer hope to the millions of people that deserve so much better than these contemptible Tories."{{cite news |last=Serwotka|first=Mark|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/03/02/trade-union-leaders-mark-_n_9368740.html|title=I Have Rejoined Labour to Support Jeremy Corbyn|work=The Huffington Post|date=2 March 2016|accessdate=15 July 2017}}

Serwotka is married to Ruth Serwotka,{{cite news |title=Mark Serwokta has a heart transplant |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/08/mark-serwotka-heart-transplant-papworth |work=The Guardian |date=8 December 2016 }} co-founder of the organisation Woman's Place UK, a gender-critical advocacy group that is opposed to gender self-identification for trans people in the UK.{{cite web |title=Why some women don't back 'self-identifying' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubMWHxvi5gU |website=BBC News |access-date=3 June 2021 |date=20 October 2018 |via=YouTube }}

In September 2010, Serwotka was named as one of the hundred most influential British Catholics by The Tablet.{{cite news |title=The church that Pope Benedict will find in Britain |first=Stephen |last=Bates |work=The Guardian |date=14 September 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/sep/14/religion-catholicism |location=London }}

In 2013 he was fitted with a battery-powered ventricular assist device after picking up a viral infection from the family dog.{{cite news |title=Union leader who's kept alive by BATTERIES backs campaign for opt-out organ donor register |first=Kevin |last=Maguire |author-link=Kevin Maguire (journalist) |work=Daily Mirror |date=4 April 2016 |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/union-leader-whos-kept-alive-7684138 }} He was readmitted to hospital on 30 August 2016, when the ventricular assist device developed a clot and his doctors then placed him on the urgent transplant list. In December 2016 he had a heart transplant at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire.{{cite web |title=Mark Serwotka has successful heart transplant |url=http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/pcs_comment.cfm/mark-serwotka-has-successful-heart-transplant |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211121814/http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/pcs_comment.cfm/mark-serwotka-has-successful-heart-transplant |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 December 2016 |publisher=Public and Commercial Services Union |accessdate=23 December 2016 |ref=heartTransplant }}

{{Reflist}}

{{Portal|Organized labour}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040819055301/http://www.pcs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=300966 PCS Press release on the court case]
• [http://www.labournet.net/ukunion/0205/pcs3.html Labournet on the dispute]
• [http://www.newstatesman.com/200207010011 Article from the New Statesman]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN9_J5A3Zww Mark Serwotka on HARDtalk (Video) – Part 1] 18.08.2008
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3foQ3V22UTA Mark Serwotka on HARDtalk (Video) – Part 2] 18.08.2008
• [https://www.webcitation.org/5r9ATfMJ3?url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/profile/profile_20100710-1920a.mp3 BBC Radio 4: Profile: Mark Serwotka (podcast mp3 file)]

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{{Succession box|title=General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union|years=2002–2024|before=Barry Reamsbottom|after=Fran Heathcote}}

{{succession box|title=President of the Trades Union Congress|years=2018–2019|before=Sally Hunt|after=Ged Nichols}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Serwotka, Mark}}

Category:1963 births

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