Dick Pickering

Richard Pickering (22 September 1942 – 10 October 1996) was a British trade union leader.

Born in Manchester, Pickering became active in the local Labour Party and in the National Union of General and Municipal Workers.[1] He began working for Manchester City Council in 1967, and soon became shop steward for the city's refuse workers,[2] then later was elected as secretary of the union's Manchester branch.[1] In 1982, he became the chair of the union's executive, and he was subsequently also elected to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).[3]

In 1987, Pickering resigned as chair of the union, by then known as the GMB, in protest at increases in membership fees and reductions in shop stewards' commission for collecting these dues.[3] In a surprise move, he stood for the post again when a new election was held, but was defeated by Olga Mean,[4] and only won the post back in 1992. This post, which was subsequently renamed "president" of the union, brought him prominence in the trade union movement; he chaired a TUC investigation into repetitive strain injury, and he also represented the TUC to the European Economic and Social Committee.[1]

Pickering devoted much of his spare time to supporting the Anti-Apartheid Movement, and Nelson Mandela recognised his support when the two met, in 1993. Pickering also enjoyed playing and watching cricket. He died of a heart attack in 1996, shortly before he was due to become President of the TUC.[1][2]