DAVE PRENTIS announced today that he is to retire as Unison general secretary at the end of the year.

The 70-year-old has led the union since 2001 after he succeeded former general secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe.

Announcing his retirement in a message to Unison staff, Mr Prentis said that he was “so proud” to have served as the union’s general secretary for 20 years.

He said: “It’s been the honour and privilege of my life to be able to represent our incredible public service workers from across our four nations, and never more so than in the last few difficult months.

“Every day for the past 47 years, I’ve been proud to serve this union. I have always been driven by a belief in fairness and justice for all our members, especially in the past five months when they and our public services have risen to the many challenges posed by the pandemic. 

“As the health crisis turns to an economic crisis, I will be here to continue to lead Unison until the end of this year.”

A timetable for electing his successor will be agreed by the union’s NEC by the end of the month. Candidates tipped to stand include assistant general secretaries Roger McKenzie and Christina McAnea.

Unison was formed in 1993 through the amalgamation of three public-sector unions: the National Union of Public Employees, the Confederation of Health Service Employees, and the National and Local Government Officers’ Association.