Dave Prentis was re-elected general secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest union, in March 2005, with an overwhelming 77% of the vote.

He was UNISON’s deputy general secretary (DGS) from its formation in 1993. In his role as DGS, Dave directed UNISON’s national negotiating team and oversaw the union’s policy making functions.

He also drove through a strategic review of the union, aimed at delivering key reforms, to bring union services closer to the members.

Dave was born and brought up in Leeds and went to the University of London where he took a bachelor of arts degree in history. This was followed by a masters degree in industrial relations at the University of Warwick.

He is a member of the TUC general council, TUC executive committee and the Trade Union Labour Party Liaison Committee. He is a member of the Labour Party’s economy commission and the Labour Party joint policy committee. He is a director the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) and also Catalyst, two centre-left research bodies.

Dave is also an adviser to the Warwick Institute of Governance and Public Management and a visiting fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.He is a member of various joint working parties with the government and the CBI. He is president of Unity Trust Bank.

Recently, the Guardian listed the 100 most influential people in public services. Dave was placed fourth. The Guardian wrote: “Dave Prentis, general secretary of UNISON, in many ways defines the modern centre-left union leader, whose sophisticated use of the financial resources and political muscle of Britain’s biggest public services union has begun to squeeze New Labour’s agenda, from the private finance initiative to foundation hospitals.”

Dave has led Britain’s biggest union formidably. He is carefully critical of aspects of public services reform, while maintaining dialogue with ministers … He won a groundbreaking deal on employment rights for contracted-out local government workers and could engineer a similar deal for NHS staff.”