Matt Wrack, the veteran former leader of the Fire Brigades Union, has been nominated to take over as general secretary of the NASUWT, Schools Week can reveal.
The teachers’ union’s executive has named Wrack, who led the FBU for 20 years until he was unseated in an election in January, as its preferred candidate for the role which will be vacated by Dr Patrick Roach later this year, sources said.
A union spokesperson said its executive had “endorsed the nomination of Matt Wrack as its candidate for election to the position of NASUWT general secretary.
“In accordance with the rules of the union, all NASUWT local associations are now entitled to nominate candidates for the position of general secretary and submit nominations by April 19.”
NASUWT has not had a contested election in more than 30 years.
Unlike most general secretaries of the teaching unions, Wrack does not come from an education background. He was a firefighter before becoming a trade union official.
Wrack, a former president of the Trades Union Council, has been a critic of both Conservative and Labour governments.
Since the election of Sir Keir Starmer’s party in July last year, Wrack has been among the most vocal opponents of the decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.
He is also a close ally of Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, raising the prospect of much closer working between the two unions if Wrack is elected.
Roach announced last year that he did not intend to seek re-election when his first term ended this spring. He was first elected in 2020.
Your thoughts